Frame parking policy, HC tells state govt
MUMBAI: The Bombay high court (HC) expressed concern over the future of the society if a proper policy for vehicular parking was not made, and warned that there would be utter chaos if the number of vehicles in individual families were not restricted to the parking space owned or available to them, as they end up parking their excess vehicles on the sides of the road outside the building, thus making it difficult for movement of pedestrians and other vehicles.
The division bench of chief justice Dipankar Datta and justice Girish Kulkarni, while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Navi Mumbai resident and activist Sandeep Thakur, was informed that the petition challenged the government notification which amended the Unified Development Control and Promotion Regulations (UDCPR) Rules, permitting developers from reducing car parking space.
Thakur submitted that the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) had relaxed offstreet parking norms in favour of developers, as a result of which vehicles owned by flat owners were being parked outside buildings. Thakur sought to quash and set aside the off-street parking provisions framed by NMMC and to restrain NMMC from acting upon the provisions.
After hearing initial submissions, the court expressed anguish at the way in which NMMC had reduced parking space.
Referring to the condition of Mumbai, the court said, “We expect the state government to ensure that new and planned cities do not face issues due to illegal on-street parking the like of which we see in Mumbai due to roadside car parking which results in congestion.”
The PIL has further claimed that off-street parking regulations have been formulated without any requisite survey, and sought a departmental secretary-level probe and urged for suitable action against officials involved in finalising the rules.
While suggesting ways of reducing new vehicles, the bench said the state could have a policy wherein purchase of new vehicles was allowed only to those who had their own parking space. “You cannot have four-five cars in a family just because you can afford it, unless requisite parking is granted in the premises of society. It was mentioned earlier that the state would make it mandatory for everyone to show parking space before vehicle registration. What is the status of that policy?” the bench asked the state counsel.
The bench then directed the state to file an affidavit in reply within two weeks.