In a move to discourage people from bringing private vehicles to the business district, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation is all set to increase parking charges after 16 years by four times. Next on the agenda: parking on streets will be banned and off-street parking will soon be introduced.

While it is proposed to increase parking fees for four-wheelers from Rs 5 per hour to Rs 20 per hour in the city area, for two-wheelers it will be Rs 5 per hour — up from Re 1. The proposed new rates will be the same in the city and eastern and western suburbs for tempos, mini trucks, trucks and buses (Rs 30 from Rs 4), but four-wheelers will have to pay less — Rs 15 per hour in the suburbs. The new rates, once approved, will be implemented in the next five years.

The traffic department has already prepared the proposal for revision of parking charges, which after administrative approval will be placed before the standing committee. The proposal (a copy of which is with Newsline) has recommended revision of parking rates to “restrain inefficient use of private vehicles”.

Alarmed by the number of vehicles in the city — around 14 lakh till 2007—and the traffic congestion it creates, the civic administration had prepared a parking policy, which suggested one way-streets, raising parking charges and underground and multi-level parking. After getting the nod of all political party leaders two months ago, the civic administration has now begun phase-wise implementation of the policy.

“Since, all the recommendations cannot be implemented in the short run, we will first start with those measures that can be followed immediately. Raising parking charges and introducing off-street parking will be the first phase,” a senior official said.

An official from the road and traffic department said locations for off-street parking are also being identified. The parking policy had suggested making off-street parking economically viable and banning on-street parking. “On-street parking creates congestion on carriageways during peak hours. The pay and parking on road will be either shifted out of carriageways or parking will be made available on the arterial roads or plots,” he said. Around 150 locations are being identified.

The civic administration has also identified another 150 locations for multi-storeyed car parks. These car parks may be underground or overground. At present, seven sites which are reserved for parking in the Development Plan, are being finalised for multi-level car parks.

Transport expert Sudhir Badami welcomed the move but said the timing of the measures to curb traffic congestion is wrong. “These demand management steps need to be taken when high capacity public transport like BRTS comes on the road. In the absence of alternative quality public transport, car users will continue to pay higher parking charges and the revision in rates will not make any positive impact but will only fill the BMC’s coffers,” he said.

Western India Automobile Association (WIAA) president Nitin Dossa said the move to increasing parking charges will be strongly objected. “There is no infrastructure available for car users which will discourage them from not using the vehicle. Hiking the parking charges will not decongest the roads,” he said.

Lawyer Anshuman Jagtap, who travels daily from Chembur to the Churchgate area, says while the revision of rates is important, it will not discourage vehicle owners. “With rising inflation, people are paying more for property and even cars now, so they will not mind spending more for parking,” he said.