Complain about illegal parking on BMC site, tollfree helpline

All parkingrelated problems to be under one agency soon; no timeline set for forming the body

MUMBAI : A day after Bombay High Court asked the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and Mumbai Police to act against illegally-parked vehicles, the civic body announced citizens could use its website (www.mcgm.gov.in) and a toll free helpline number (1916) to report vehicles flouting the parking rules.

BMC is planning to set up a special parking authority for the city, as per Development Control and Promotion Regulations (DCPR) 2034, to regulate this issue. “The parking authority will unify all parking enforcement activities and agencies like police, traffic and the BMC under one agency. The authority will look into the parking holistically and also increase the parking pool in the city,” said Ajoy Mehta, civic chief. No date or timeline has been provided for the establishment of this new authority.

At present, BMC along with traffic police manage parking regulations in the city.

BMC seizes illegally-parked and abandoned vehicles under Section 314 of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act, 1884. Owners have 48 hours before a vehicle is transported by the BMC to its godown. A list

of seized vehicles is sent to the local and traffic police and forwarded to the Mumbai Police Crime Branch. The police then check the list for missing or stolen cars. If nobody claims the vehicle within three months, the BMC auctions the vehicle

WHAT HAPPENS ONCE YOU COMPLAIN

BMC seizes these abandoned, unclaimed vehicles under Section 314 of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act, 1884

under Section 490 (3) of the Act. If the owners come forward, they are charged a penalty by the civic body. Civic officials informed that, auction of vehicles will be completed by August 10.

“A special parking authority BMC leaves the vehicle for 48 hours before towing for the owners to remove the vehicle, after which vehicles are transported to the godown

If not claimed, vehicles are auctioned under Section 490 (3) of the Act

under BMC is need of the hour. Also, this authority should go beyond deciding parking rates and look into auto, taxis, trucks that also ply on the road and need parking spaces. Road or transport infrastructure should also be included in its ambit,” Register complaints against abandoned vehicles parked illegally on the road by logging on to www.mcgm.gov.in, mcgm.gov.in or calling

said activist AV Shenoy, who works in the fields of transport, electricity and health.

Last year, the BMC had taken action against 2,231 vehicles. From January to October 2017, BMC collected a fine of Rs 1.38 crore.