In June 2019, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had announced that no vehicles can be parked in a spot within 500 metres of a public parking lot (PPL). Recently, it had also issued a list of roads where the vehicles cannot be parked. However, the residents of Dadar's Shivaji Park area seem to have received a special rebate from the regulation.
The BMC dropped all parking penalties and allowed vehicles to be stationed on 15 roads that were designated no-parking zones in Shivaji Park, Dadar (West). After which, the strange decision by BMC was criticised and came out creating a furore among residents and councillors of other areas.
The citizens from Mumbai alleged that this was discriminatory behaviour from the civic body. As a result, the BMC has allowed the residents living in old buildings in Mumbai to park vehicles on the roadside. This policy change is applicable for the residents of older buildings which don’t have parking facilities.
According to the civic body, the assistant municipal commissioners of all the wards have been instructed to identify such societies. The BMC will then inspect the area before allowing them to park on the sides of the roads.
However, the residents that want to avail the facility will have to apply for it by buying a six-monthly pass after paying the stipulated amount towards it.
Reportedly, the BMC has dropped 20 penalties from Shivaji Park area residents had not been following the BMC’s no-parking zone policy during the assembly poll political campaigns itself. But Monday onwards they received an official exemption after the BMC Commissioner Pravin Pardeshi signed an order.
The fine for four-wheeler vehicles parked within a 500-meter radius of PPL was up to ₹23,500. Later, the BMC had slashed the fines following protests. The BMC had introduced the harsh penalty to curb the traffic jams in Mumbai due to the illegal parking.