No parking slot in society? Pay to get one on a nearby street

As part of its hi-tech web-based parking system, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) plans to start a scheme to grant permits for on-street parking by residents who do not have a parking slot in their society, Poorvi Kulkarni reports.

As part of its hi-tech web-based parking system, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) plans to start a scheme to grant permits for on-street parking by residents who do not have a parking slot in their society.

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While the charges are yet to be finalised, the main and arterial roads in the city will be kept out of the scheme. This, however, means that the illegal parking on roads, will continue to remain uncharged.

The scheme will mainly cover old buildings in the island city that were built without a separate parking area. “The scheme is still in its preliminary planning stage. Our aim is to regulate on-street parking for residents, who don’t have a parking space in their society. This will ensure that citizens get a demarcated space for parking their vehicles,” said a senior official from the BMC’s traffic department.

The civic body plans to issue permits to residents on application and charge them for parking their vehicles at the spot during the night. “It will be a demand-based scheme as the citizens will have to apply for permits. Mini-parking lanes could be created on roads after seeking a no-objection certificate from the traffic police,” he said.

Some experts, on the other hand, have called for a more comprehensive policy for on-street parking. “There should not be a flat rate for on-street parking. Charges should be fixed according to the land cost in a particular area and should be different for high-end and low-end areas,” said an expert, who did not wish to be named.