The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had recently issued a statement when it was under fire for steep parking fines. Roads serve a public service of providing mobility which is a mandatory duty of the BMC and the fines have been implemented with the aim of decongesting Mumbai's roads, it had said.

Stung by the fines, most Mumbaikars do park their vehicles at BMC parking lots. Yet, there has been only some respite for pedestrians who have found that pedestrian-centric spaces have been taken over by roadside garages. In-service vehicles are parked on the roads, seemingly without paying any penalty. And they are not the only ones. A trip around Mumbai by mid-day reporters revealed how the BMC is victimising private vehicle owners alone.