Cars can't afford MMRDA's pay & park

Although the MMRDA maintains two pay-and-park zones in the BKC area, in addition to a spacious and costly multi-level car park, motorists prefer to park their vehicles along the roads, leading to congestion

Although the MMRDA maintains two pay-and-park zones in the BKC area, in addition to a spacious and costly multi-level car park, motorists prefer to park their vehicles along the roads, leading to congestion

When MiD DAY visited the Bandra Kurla Complex last week to evaluate parking conditions as part of its campaign, a most puzzling phenomenon was noticed.

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Despite MMRDA's three 'pay and park zones' and a multi-level paking lot at BKC, the motorists resort to park their vehicles on the roads

Even though the specially earmarked 'pay and park' zones, and the expensive multi-level car park in the vicinity, maintained by the MMRDA, wore a deserted look, the roads were lined with hundreds of cars.
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It was all too evident that the motorists have given these parking zones a cold shoulder, preferring the roads.
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When quizzed about their preference for the often unsafe roads to the specially constructed parking lots, the motorists put forward the general defence that the parking fees charged by the MMRDA are higher than those charged by the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM).

Before the chief minister inaugurated the cycling track at BKC in April this year, MMRDA had sternly passed the injunction that motorists coming to BKC should park their vehicles inside the 'pay and park' zones or within the multi-level car parking lots situated near the Trident hotel, both of which are run by the MMRDA.
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Officials at the MMRDA had threatened to tow away stray vehicles found parked outside these prescribed premises.

Parking haven
MiD DAY had earlier reported on the deplorable condition of the cycling track, prompting cyclists to abandon them, and inviting motorists to conveniently turn it into a makeshift parking lot.
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After MiD DAY's expose, the estate department of MMRDA immediately informed traffic cops to tow away the vehicles that were found parked within the cycling track. (Parking makes way for cycling track at BKC)

When MiD DAY paid another visit to evaluate the parking activities in the area, it became obvious that motorists, evicted from the cycling track, have now resorted to parking their vehicles on BKC roads, includingu00a0 'no parking' zones.

The MMRDA has a total of three 'pay and park zones', and a multi-level parking lot at BKC. Two of the 'pay and park' zones are situated in G block, and the third outside the MMRDA office. The multi-level parking lot is situated next to the Trident hotel in BKC.

The road outside the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) office at BKC was lined with unlawfully parked cars on both sides.

Although the cycling track was free of automobiles, the sheer number of parked cars in the stretch leading from the MCA office to the Trident had reduced the three-lane road to a two-lane road. All this, with a parking lot situated a mere 800 metres away from the MCA office.

'Prohibitive'
When this reporter asked some of the motorists why they have been parking their vehicles at no-parking zones and on roads, in spite of the empty parking zones within stone's throw, motorists complained that the parking charges levied by the MMRDA were too prohibitive for them to afford.

"I frequently drive to the BKC for my office work, but prefer to park my car on the road. Parking fees charged by the MMRDA is too much for my pocket," said Jayesh Mhatre, a bank executive.

Following this, Team
MiD DAY paid a visit to the MMRDA's multi-level parking lot situated next to the Trident hotel. The posh parking lot, which cost the body Rs 40 crore and has a capacity of 800 vehicles, was thrown open to the public in December 2009, in order to curb rampant parking on public roads.

But it appeared that the motorists have all but abandoned the costly parking lot. On Thursday afternoon, it was deserted, while the roads just outside it were chock-a-block with parked cars.

Motorist Sameer Majid said, "I prefer parking my car on the road because the MMRDA charges Rs 17 per hour, and Rs 12 for every additional hour. These charges are quite steep, compared to that charged by other facilities."

MMRDA's very own
MMRDA's multi-level parking facility at BKC was constructed on a plot measuring 15,000 square metres, which was allotted to the East India Hotel Limited in 2001. The hotel owners thereafter entered into an agreement with MMRDA.
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The contract allowed the MMRDA to construct its parking lot, free of cost, sprawling over a 30,000 sqm area, once the hotel was constructed. The multi-storey car parking facility is exclusively owned by the MMRDA.

Charges:
The rates at the 'pay and park' zones run by the MMRDA are Rs 20 for the first two hours for a four-wheeler. Following this, the motorists are charged Rs 25 for the next six hours. After eight hours, the rates for parking a car for another six hours are Rs 50. The parking rate for a two-wheeler is Rs 12 for a duration of 12 hours.

Rs 400 cr
The money MMRDA spent on the posh multi-level car parking

The Other Side
When questioned why the MMRDA was not taking strict measures to keep parked cars off the roads and in the parking lots, MMRDA Joint Project Director Dilip Kawatkar said, "Time and again, the traffic police officials carry out drives against the vehicles parked at prohibited zones. But they keep coming back. MMRDA will now take strict action against these motorists."

When Team MiD DAY brought the steeper parking charges to the notice of MMRDA officials, they defended their stand, claiming that parking lots maintained by MMRDA are far safer than others.

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