South Mumbai residents’ criticism forces Mumbai civic body to revisit parking policy

Half-hearted implementation and opposition by residents of south Mumbai have forced the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to rework its pay-and-park policy, which was aimed to discourage use of private vehicles and promote public transport.

Municipal commissioner Ajoy Mehta said, “We will relook at the pay-and-park policy.”

Under the parking policy approved in 2015, the BMC floated ‘residential parking scheme’ under which residents would pay a fee for parking their cars on roads.

The pilot residential parking scheme was introduced in A ward (Churchgate, Colaba, Fort and Ballard estate). The BMC finalised more than 235 parking spots on roads, mostly on lanes outside housing societies for 12 hours at night. However, after initial response from a few housing societies, none of the residents paid the fee.

Depending on a good response from A ward, the BMC would have extended the policy to the entire city. The policy was initially approved for three years.

Residents from A ward have opposed the implementation of the policy since 2015. After being stalled for over a year, residents and local MLA Raj Purohit met chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, demanding scrapping of the policy.

However, the state government gave a final nod to the policy just before the civic elections. The civic body started its implementation, but it never took off.

Following the criticism, Mehta said, “The parking authority, introduced in the new Development Control and Promotional rules, will study the policy and make changes in fees, timing and residential schemes among others.”

Under the pilot residential parking scheme, citizens were asked to pay for six months and allowed to park on roads outside their housing societies between 8pm and 8am.

After getting Mehta’s nod for night parking in A ward in January, the BMC received applications from 235 car owners or 39 housing societies requesting parking space on roads. The area has a population of nearly 1.5 lakh, with a floating population of 8 lakh.

Of the 235 applications, 69 were rejected. The civic body sent payment notices of Rs1, 800 a month to 20 housing societies or 166 car owners who received the no-objection certificate from the traffic police to park on roads. However, only seven housing societies agreed to pay the fees, while three others refused, citing the 12-hour parking window trouble. As the policy neared the implementation, only two housing societies came forward to pay the fee.

A-ward residents and experts said without inclusion of stakeholders in drafting the policy, it would not be successful. “If the BMC is serious about implementation, it has to consider all suggestions and objections given by residents. They cannot have the same policy for the entire city, it has to be area specific,” said Subhash Motwani, president of Clean Heritage building

Transport expert AV Shenoy said, “The BMC needs to include all stakeholders, residents, and transport and traffic wings for a thorough policy.”