Identify five private societies for public parking in each ward: Mumbai civic body

As per the plan, the housing societies will lease their parking lots during the day when residents take out their cars. In exchange, payment for parking will add to the societies’ revenue.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) chief Praveen Pardeshi recently asked assistant commissioners of all 24 wards to identify five housing societies per ward that are willing to open up their empty parking lots for public use during the day. The proposal to open private lots to the public on a pay-and-park basis was first put forth by the parking authority last year to compensate for lack of space in high-density areas such as Bandra Kurla Complex, Andheri, Goregaon and Lower Parel.

As per the plan, the housing societies will lease their parking lots during the day when residents take out their cars. In exchange, payment for parking will add to the societies’ revenue. “The parking authority had earlier worked with the ward staff to identify such housing societies, but the concept did not take off as we received a poor response from housing societies. The municipal commissioner has now asked all ward officers to identify five private buildings each that are willing to accept the plan,” said a senior civic officer privy to the issue.

Vinod Sampat of the Co-operative Societies Residents Welfare Association said, “Why should any housing society allow a stranger to come in? We spend lakhs of rupees on maintenance of our premises. Why should we risk our safety?”

The move also comes alongside the state government’s decision to reduce mandatory visitors’ parking space to 5% from the current 25% for all new buildings in the Development Control and Promotion Regulations (DCPR) 2034. “Both of these are contradictory policies. The government should instead ensure that all new buildings have enough parking space,” said Sampat.