BMC to 2,000 vehicles: No entry

Even though 16 brand new parking lots across the city are ready to receive vehicles, the civic body has been stalling the process of throwing them open to the public

And you thought that there was no space in the city to park your cars.

MiD DAY investigations have revealed that the civic body, after being allotted and thereafter developing 16 parking lots in the city, has inexplicably barred the public from using it.


A BMC parking lot in Dadar

These lots, if thrown open to the city's vehicles, could contribute greatly towards improving the city's parking and traffic woes, accommodating nearly 2,000 four-wheelers or 12,000 bikes.

The BMC has been handed over space for 16 parking lots, distributed strategically across the city.

There are five lots in Andheri, three in Dahisar, two in Dadar, and one each in Santacruz, Ghatkopar and Walkeshwar.

The civic body, however, has been at its lackadaisical best, and is yet to issue tenders for contractors who will maintain and manage the lots.

An official from the BMC's estates department revealed to MiD DAY that some of the parking lots had been handed over to the BMC many years ago, while others had been bequeathed to it recently, under the Development Control Regulation 33 (24).
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This regulation stipulates that developers of plots extending over an area of 1,000 square metres in the city proper, and over 2,000 square metres in the suburbs, could avail an FSI of upto four, if it made provisions for 50 public parking slots within its premises.

Developers have duly followed these regulations and handed over the lots to the civic body, to be thrown open to the public.

The official said, "These parking lots have been handed over by the BMC to the concerned departments, such as the ward maintenance departments, and the market department if they are allotted in market spaces."

Team MiD DAY visited some of these lots in Santacruz, Dadar, Versova and Walkeshwar, to inspect the arrangements.

Santacruz: u00a0u00a0Open or shut?
The allotted space at Santacruz (West), situated near the station, is a two level basement, underneath a mall. However, these reporters failed to get a clear answer as to whether the lot was open or not.

A security guard on duty at the lot said, "Parking is free in the basement, and vehicle-owners who work in the offices or shops in the mall can park their cars here."

An official from the H (West) maintenance ward however, gave a completely different answer, saying, "The parking lot has not yet been thrown open for public use, and people who frequent the mall do not have access to it yet. The tenders for contractors have not been issued yet."

Versova: u00a0Invisible lot?
In spite of a thorough search, the allotted parking lot at the Versova-Juhu Link Road was nowhere in sight. When contacted, officials from the K West ward failed to provide the exact location of the lot.

Dadar: u00a0u00a0Entry denied
The doors to the two parking lots situated in Dadar at JK Sawant Marg and NC Kelkar Marg were firmly shut, BMC signboards still nailed to them, perhaps an ironic testament to the civic body's laxity.u00a0

Walkeshwar: u00a0Sorry, we're closed
This parking lot, situated below a municipal market, was closed.

Traffic officials speak
MiD DAY also contacted transport experts and traffic officials, who were unanimous in their belief that the deplorable traffic scenario in Mumbai could improve if the BMC pulled its socks up and put pressure on concerned departments to throw open the parking lots to the public.

DCP (Traffic) Nandkumar Chougule said, "The BMC should immediately inaugurate the parking lots which are ready to receive vehicles. What's the point of building them and keeping them under lock and key? Parking lots won't resolve the traffic situation completely, but will definitely help improve it."

A senior traffic police official divulged, on condition of anonymity, that some parking lots in central Mumbai were ready for use, but BMC officials with vested interests had pulled strings to ensure that they were made inaccessible to the public.

Expertspeak
Echoing the Chougule's statement, transport expert Ashok Datar said, "With the dizzying number of vehicles on the road, it impossible to resolve the traffic situation completely.

But more parking lots will definitely provide some much needed respite to the roads. If they are ready, they should be opened with immediate effect. This will decrease illegal parking, and create more space on the roads."

The Other Side
The BMC's Standing Committee chairman Rahul Shewale said, "To my knowledge, the tenders haven't yet been issued, inviting proposals from contractors who will manage the lots.u00a0

These lots were handed over by the BMC to concerned departments for further work. Only after this is completed will the tenders be issued."

He further added that the traffic situation in the bustling city was sure to improve, once the parking lots were made accessible to the public.

Municipal Commissioner Subodh Kumar said, "The issue has not yet reached my ears. As of now, I have no knowledge of the matter."

Despite several attempts to contact him, Additional Municipal Commissioner Aseem Gupta remained unavailable for comment.

The number of private cars in the city has touched a dizzying two million, and the figures seem to be multiplying each day.
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To make matters worse, the city's car parks are ill-managed affairs, where vehicles jostle for space.

Keeping this in mind, MiD DAY will be bringing you a series of reports on Mumbai's parking woes, trying to shed light on the various factors responsible for this growing crisis in the city.
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We will enquire into where, how and why commuters face parking problems.