Don’t be startled if the next time you visit a South Mumbai eatery, you are asked to shell out Rs. 60 to park your car. The civic body is compelling hotels using roads outside their establishments to apply officially for the parking space under the new pay-and-park policy. And hence, we customers will be bearing the cost. The civic body is saying that currently the roads are being utilised by hotels and restaurants as a freebie, however, the new guidelines clearly state that parking on roads will be chargeable.
A senior civic official said the BMC plans to ask restaurants, clubs and gymkhanas to apply for parking approvals. “They will be charged under the new parking policy rates and since most restaurants are in the high footfall areas, they will be charged under category ‘A’,” said the official.
Considering most eateries fall into the category “A”, one would have to shell almost Rs 60 per hour to park a car at Kala Ghoda that comes under the category ‘A’. More so, the city has been divided into three categories—A, B and C—based largely on footfalls.
Prerak Chaudhary, a lawyer and Marine Drive resident, said that they have decided to approach the court in June in connection with the new residential pay-and-park scheme. “We feel there has been insufficient homework done by the corporation before they decided to implement the scheme in residential areas. At a time when there are insufficient parking lots in the city such a policy will create chaos,” said Chaudhary.
I guess dining out in Mumbai just gets pricier by the day!
[Via:Timesofindia]
