You can’t park your vehicle in BKC anymore

Motorists who park their vehicles on the sides of the roads of the Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) must search for alternate parking, since the space will be used for a cycling track starting April

You can't park your vehicle in BKC anymore

Motorists who park their vehicles on the sides of the roads of the Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) must search for alternate parking, since the space will be used for a cycling track starting April

Motorists will have to give up their free parking spots as the MMRDA has decided to set the wheels rolling on its project to open the first dedicated cycling track in Mumbai at Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC). The 13-km bicycle track will be completed by mid April this year.

The wide roads of BKC have played the role of a makeshift parking lot for the vehicles of numerous employees who prefer to use the road in spite of it being a no parking zone rather than using the parking zone of Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA).

Since the roads are wide, there is rarely a chance of getting your car towed. This makes for a cheap alternative to the high parking rates of the MMRDA parking lot. To differentiate the road and the footpath, the cycle track will be coated with green paint. No Parking signboards will be put up near the track and the area will be brought under the purview of the traffic police. In order to promote cycling, MMRDA is also planning cycling tracks in Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR).

Speaking to SMD, MMRDA spokesperson and Joint Project Director Dilip Kawatkar said, "We observed that due to the traffic congestion and motorists' indiscipline, the utility value of the project, meant for a specific purpose, was lost. We will ensure that the bicycle track is used only for bicycles."

In an article dated January 6, 2011, MiD DAY had reported that while the MMRDA parking facility was available at BKC, motorists preferred to give it a miss due to steep parking fees and use parking areas offered by other agencies or simply park their vehicles on the road.

The Rs 40 crore multi-storey parking facility of the MMRDA at BKC boasts of an 800-car capacity. It was opened to public in December 2009. An official from MMRDA, on condition of anonymity, said, "People don't use it because the parking charges are high.

They park their vehicles on the sides of BKC's roads." At MMRDA's parking lot, the parking charge is Rs 17 per hour and Rs 12 for every additional hour Once the cycling track is opened next month, the only option motorists will have is to park their vehicles in the MMRDA parking lot or faceu00a0 traffic police action and a heavy fine, said the official.

Justifying the present parking rates MMRDA Joint Project Director, Dilip Kawatkar, said, "It is true that our parking rates are high but our parking zones are highly sophisticated, hi-tech and safe compared to others where vehicles are damaged."

Motorist Dheeraj Bhatia, 26, who is a frequent visitor to BKC and also prefers to park besides the road, says, "MMRDA should bring down the parking rates. By reducing rates more people coming into BKC for short periods will be able to park their vehicles without worrying about them getting towed."

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