CHENNAI: Responding to complaints about high costs of parking motor vehicles in the city, the Chennai Corporation is planning to regulate parking fees at private parking lots.

Shopping malls and private recreation centres in the city have been charging Rs 10 and 20 per hour for a two-wheeler and Rs 50 and 60 per hour for a car. "Initially, the parking fee for two-wheelers at a shopping mall on Radhakrishnan Salai was Rs 5. All of a sudden it was increased to Rs 10. It is high time they were regulated," said PN Peter of Adyar.

B Vijesh, a software engineer, had to pay Rs 216 for parking his two wheeler at a new shopping mall off Anna Salai. "I went there for a movie and was there for six hours. Moreover, they do not even guarantee the safety of the vehicle," he said.

The issue was raised by Chennai Corporation opposition leader Saidai P Ravi at the corporation council meeting on Tuesday. Later speaking to The Times of India, Ravi said the corporation must use OSR land for parking. "Private buildings fix their own rates for parking. I have asked the local body to either eliminate parking charges or to take commercial tax from private parties who use OSR land for parking," he said.

Ravi also said that by adopting this method, OSR land would be considered a commercial plot and the local body could use the money earned to set up public utilities. "The corporation should not allow private companies to use the land for parking free-of-cost. This will put an end to fleecing," he said.

Responding to his statement, mayor M Subramanian said the local body had been making efforts to resolve the issue. "A meeting with all the party members of the council will be held to arrive at a solution. This is a complex issue, since it involves both the corporation and the private sector. We will also have to take legal opinion on the matter," the mayor said.