Less than six months after rolling out new parking rules and levying steep fines for unauthorised parking, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has scrapped it, opting instead for a formula-based penalty. Instead of paying a flat rate for unauthorised parking, motorists will have to pay a fine equivalent to approximately 40 times the existing parking charges.
The civic body had introduced new parking rules for the city in July last year imposing heavy penalties for parking within 500 metres of designated public parking lots or BEST bus depots. The maximum penalty was a staggering ₹23,500. It had also introduced the same penalties on five major city roads making them no-parking zones to decongest them. However, the move had met with opposition from the people, public representatives and the Mumbai Parking Authority (MPA) which said the fines were arbitrary and exorbitant.
Under retired IAS officer Gautam Chatterjee, the MPA undertook a comprehensive review of the parking charges and came up with a new formula-based fine.
According to the new formula, a four-wheeler owner, for example, will pay ₹100 for up to 12 hours parking in a paid parking lot, but for unauthorised parking he or she will have to shell out ₹4,000. The charges will be inclusive of towing charges. Earlier, the fine for unauthorised parking was ₹10,000 with a late fee of ₹170 per day if the owner failed to retrieve the vehicle.
The new formula will also be applicable to heavy motor vehicles, medium motor vehicles, and three and two-wheelers, according to a circular issued on Monday.
“We got several complaints from people. Even members of the parking authority felt that the charges needed to be revised. That is why we took this decision. They are still steep to deter unauthorised parking and we hope they have the desired effect,” said an officer from BMC’s traffic department.
