[sustran] Pay four times more to park your car now in Mumbai

[Vinay Baindur]

*Pay four times more to park your car now*
<http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_pay-four-times-more-to-park-your-car-now_1225515>
http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_pay-four-times-more-to-park-your-car-now_1225515
Additional 5% hike likely in parking charges every year for next 30 years


Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) wants to apply the
brakes on vehicles in the city so either you shell out more for parking with
each passing year or watch your car sit tidily in the garage.

In a bid to cope with traffic congestion and shortage of parking space, the
civic body is all set to implement a four-fold hike in parking charges. The
BMC hopes steeper rates will deter people from bringing their vehicles on
the roads to some extent.

While parking charges for four-wheelers are likely to be hiked from Rs5 per
hour to Rs22 per hour, for two-wheelers it will be Rs5 per hour from the
current Re1. The same rates will apply for the entire city. Once approved by
the standing committee, the rates will be effective for the next 30 years
with a 5% annual hike. You will have to fork out the same amount for
multi-storey parking too.

The traffic department has drawn up the proposal for the new parking
charges, which after administrative approval, will be placed before the
standing committee.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation is set to increase parking charges
four times to discourage owners from bringing their vehicles on the roads
and, instead, opt for public transport.

Currently, there are more than 14 lakh private vehicles in the city. The
number increases by 6% every year, but infrastructure has not been able to
keep pace with this.

An official from the road and traffic department of BMC said, "The hike in
parking charges is the first step to discourage citizens from bringing out
their vehicles on the roads. This will help decongest traffic on the roads."

Seven spots have been reserved for parking lots across the city as per
development control (DC) rules. The civic administration has also identified
another 150 locations for multi-storey car parks. These car parks may be
underground or overground.