Built to ease congestion, the BMC-approved lots suffer from poor access, zero signage, bad lighting, and no street-level visibility. As a result, residents often end up using them for long-term parking, while daily visitors stay away. Occupancy at the city’s 38 public parking lots (PPL) hovers around 40–60 per cent, despite being created by developers in exchange for extra FSI. “These vehicles all belong to residents. No one parks here short-term,” said a staffer at the Nepean Sea Road lot, adding that trucks and taxis block access during the day.

No awareness, no footfall

A staffer from the PPL at Nepean Sea Road told mid-day, “All the vehicles parked here belong to local residents. We don’t get any visitors using this facility for short-term parking during the day. Since there’s hardly any traffic inside, vehicles often park near the entrance without any regulation. That’s why access gets blocked, but only during daytime hours.”