BMC permits free parking at 24 locations in A ward
MUMBAI: Following a sting operation that exposed a parking racket in the Kala Ghoda area and whistleblower complaints regarding the mafia controlling nearly 60% of the pay-and-park facilities across the city, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided not to renew contracts with 24 private parking contractors in the A ward, which covers key areas in south Mumbai.
Instead, the civic body will allow free parking in at least 10 of the 24 locations in the ward once existing parking contracts expire. The move is aimed at restoring public trust and curbing the rampant practice of parking operators charging exorbitant fees or collecting money without authorisation.
Among the areas where parking has been made free are Jamnalal Bajaj lane, where the contract expired on May 24, and the area around Eros Cinema, where the contract will expire on May 31. No charges will be payable for parking at eight other locations in the island city once contracts expire on May 31, said an official from the A ward.
'We are initiating spot quotations to appoint new contractors for all 24 locations. Till the tender process is completed, parking at these locations will remain free of cost,' said the A ward official.
The A ward, a heritage and tourism hotspot, sees high vehicular traffic due to the presence of many government offices, commercial hubs, and cultural sites.
Sources in the civic body said the free parking provision would be a temporary measure while the BMC revisits the pay-and-park policy framework and introduces stricter transparency and accountability measures. The civic body will deploy its own staff at all 24 locations to oversee parking operations and assist motorists, the sources said.
The BMC is also taking strict disciplinary action against those involved in the parking racket. The parking contractor at Kala Ghoda – who was found overcharging motorists and allowing parking in no parking zones during a BMC-led sting operation – has been booked under section 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code. A proposal has also been sent to the traffic department to blacklist the contractor.
A hearing will be conducted soon to determine the tenure of blacklisting – spanning three to five years – depending on the tender conditions, said sources.
Former BJP corporator from Colaba, Makarand Narwekar, had last week demanded that all illegal pay-and-park contracts be cancelled and parking be made free until the fresh tendering process was completed.
The workings of the parking mafia came to light on April 25, when activist Santosh Daundkar raised the matter, detailing how parking contractors, some with alleged criminal backgrounds, operated a coordinated racket spanning A ward to T ward.
The BMC is also cracking down on officials with alleged connections to the parking mafia. On April 17, assistant engineer Pawan Kawre from A ward was suspended pending a preliminary inquiry into his alleged role in mismanaging parking contracts under his jurisdiction.
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