Bombay High Court notice to state on PIL seeking parking facility under flyovers, bridges

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Thursday issued a notice in a Public interest Litigation (PIL) seeking to restart parking facilities below the bridges and the flyovers in Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR).

A division bench of acting chief justice SV Gangapurwala and justice Sandeep Marne issued the notice while hearing a PIL by Pradeep Bais. The PIL sought that the parking facility under the bridges be made available where public parking spaces are not available within 200 meters of such bridges and flyovers.

Prior to 2008, the spaces below the bridge and flyovers were used as parking spaces. However, the then Chief Minister of Maharashtra made a verbal statement that such parking should not be allowed citing security reasons and also that it posed danger if any car catches fire. Subsequently, an order was passed under the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act 1966 by the government in 2009 discontinuing such parking. No parking was allowed on the streets in such areas.

The PIL contends that the parking facilities were terminated on verbal directions of then CM.

It further contends that the horizontal area of the MMR is exhausted and the vacant space below the bridges should be used. Also, such parking facilities would economically benefit the state as well as the local self-government.