Illegitimate pay-and-park facility has been operating for over 15 years; vehicle owners received e-challan notifications with fines ranging between Rs 500 and Rs 2,000
UMC Assistant Commissioner Alka Pawar oversaw the removal of illegal parking spots
Citizens who rightfully paid for the ‘pay-and-park’ facility for their two-wheelers were still issued e-challan fines for illegal parking. Over 125 two-wheeler owners, who have been using the facility outside Shahad railway station in Ulhasnagar for years, now find themselves caught in a scam. Locals, shocked by the revelation, say the so-called pay-and-park facility has been operating for over 15 years—only to be exposed as entirely illegal.
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Kumkum Gupta, a resident of Shahad, said she has been parking her two-wheeler outside the station premises for the past eight years. “There was a dedicated ‘pay-and-park’ board, so we assumed it was a legitimate facility. I paid a monthly sum, but a couple of days ago, I started receiving challans! That’s when many of us discovered that the entire ‘pay and park’ was a sham,” she said.
Illegitimate pay-and-park board outside Shahad station
Echoing her concerns, another local, Rajendra Shirke, said, “She is right! I have also been parking my bike here for many years, paying as and when they demanded. Maybe we should have checked the bills properly.”
The citizens were given a bill-like receipt by those running the bogus pay-and-park facility, unaware that it held no legal validity. The individuals behind the operation are now being traced by the authorities.
A joint operation was conducted by the Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation (UMC) and the traffic police over two days, and officials penalised 125 vehicles, issuing challans totaling Rs 1.3 lakh.
Following the crackdown, owners were asked to remove their vehicles and also received e-challan notifications with fines ranging between R500 and R2,000.
Unhappy over the incident, Rajeesh Lambole, a local, asked, “I already paid for pay-and-park, and now I have to also pay for e-challan. How is it my fault that the pay-and-park was bogus and illegal? Isn’t it the responsibility of the traffic police?”
On Tuesday afternoon, mid-day visited the spot and found the roads nearly empty, with only one or two two-wheelers parked. Shopkeepers and vendors said that ever since the civic body and the traffic police vacated all vehicles. In fact, shopkeepers noted that the operation has come as a relief, as the roads are now decongested, providing more space for pedestrians to move through the market and access the railway station. “If this facility is gone, we have no alternative. I live quite far from the station, and taking an auto daily isn’t financially feasible, while the bus service is unreliable. Commuting by bike was the only sensible option. So, do we have an alternative?” asked Suneethi Raj, a college student residing in the interiors of Shahad.
Responding, UMC Assistant Commissioner Alka Pawar told mid-day that the civic body has introduced a new parking system. “Before I was appointed as the assistant commissioner, there was already a tender for parking, but it didn’t go through. Once I was appointed, I made it a priority to eliminate these illegal parking spots and replace them with a legitimate one, which is safer and can also generate revenue.
The new parking area has the UMC board prominently displayed, so people can park their vehicles by paying a minimal amount, and in return, they will receive a legitimate bill/receipt,” concluded Pawar, who previously oversaw the removal of illegal parking spots, encroachments, and shanties in the Ulhasnagar and Shahad areas.
125
No. of two wheeler owners using the facility for years
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