For six months, corporation hasn’t been collecting parking fee in notified areas

No bidders have shown interest to collect fees as the bid amount fixed by the civic body is ‘high’

Two-wheelers parked on the main road at Balmatta, one of the areas where the fee has not been collected.— File Photo

The Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) has not been collecting parking fees in six notified areas in the city for the past six months resulting in revenue loss to the civic body.

Of the nine notified areas, the fee is being collected only in three places.

Official sources in the corporation told

The Hindu that no bidders have shown interest to collect the fee at six places as the bid amount (the amount to be remitted to the civic body by the bidders) fixed by the corporation is “high”.

The sources said that of the six places, two bidders initially agreed to collect the fee at two places but later withdrew. Hence the fee is not being collected at Balmatta, Lalbagh, Gaadi Chowk (near the University College), A.B. Shetty Circle to Town Hall and near Infosys at Kottara.

The fee is being collected now only at old bus stand (Hampankatta), Rao and Rao Circle to Town Hall Road and from Hotel Gateway to the Badriya College Road.

Sources said that at a recent meeting the Directorate of Municipal Administration had instructed to reduce the bid amount and re-invite bids as the corporation has suffered revenue loss.

Now a proposal on re-inviting bids has been sent to the Standing Committee for Taxation, Finance and Appeals for its approval.

One-time payment

Meanwhile, there are no takers for a proposal mooted by councillor Mahabala Marla when he was the Mayor one-and-half years ago.

According to Mr. Marla the civic body could introduce daily one-time parking fee payment system in the central business district areas.

With this people need not pay parking fee in every notified area. This system should be introduced by introducing slab system which could be per an hour, for two hours, for half day, for full day and the like. This would help many people.

“The corporation can fix slightly high parking fee. People will pay. What they want is place for parking. Aren’t they paying Rs. 15 per an hour for parking vehicles in the parking zone of a mall on the K S Rao Road,” Mr. Marla asked.

G. Hanumantha Kamath, president, Nagarika Hitarakshana Samithi, said that that the proposal could be introduced only if there is a single fee collector for all notified places.

Concurring with this the officials at the corporation said that while re-inviting bids for the remaining six notified areas the civic body could introduce the same on pilot basis.