The Times of India            21.11.2013

BMC committee to discuss parking rate policy next week

MUMBAI: The civic improvements committee of BMC will discuss the new parking rate policy next week. With a majority of members convinced that it is a well-drafted policy, it is likely to be cleared by the panel.

The meeting will be held on November 28 and that is when the policy will be tabled for a detailed discussion. Chairman of the committee Ram Barot said that the policy was framed to encourage use of public transport and to discourage private vehicles and street parking.

"The BMC plans to hike the parking fees for trucks and private cars. On-duty taxis will be charged lesser in comparison to private cars," said Barot. The parking rates will vary from area to area. Rates will also be different during peak and non-peak hours, which could help in controlling the number of private cars on the roads as well as check illegal parking, said sources.

Dividing the city into three zones, the civic administration has proposed a Rs 60-per hour charge for parking lots in prominent areas such as Fort, Colaba and Regal. The existing parking fee for such lots is Rs 20 per hour. According to civic data, there are about 62 such parking lots in the city.

Less popular places will also see a two-fold hike in the parking fee. The hike has been proposed for the next two years, after which the charges will be increased by 10 per cent every two years.