However, traffic experts feel that the problem of lack of parking space is an offshoot of the problem of increasing number of private vehicles
Mumbai : Issues with illegal and haphazard parking that leads to choking up of the already overburdened roads in Mumbai is a nuisance few commuters can escape. With the debate over parking space in a congested city like Mumbai gathering ground, traffic experts feel that the problem of lack of parking space is an offshoot of the problem of increasing number of private vehicles taking to city roads. Commuters who use private vehicles believe that using the city transport is an uncomfortable option.
Nandkumar Salvi, a retired BMC road engineer told the Free Press Journal, “The current government policy is pro-private vehicles. Crunch in parking space is not the original problem. People must be discouraged from taking out their vehicles by increasing parking charges heavily. Automatically traffic on the roads and subsequently parking spaces around the city will open up”.
Experts are of the view that another problem is lack of clarity on legal and illegal parking spots. Cities in other countries have bold parking signs but Mumbai, in spite of being a metro city lacks prominent no-parking signs. Ashok Datar, Transport Expert said “There are about a 100 places around the city that have no business being parking lots. About 98% of parking zones are bad and only 2% parking zones are correct.”
Datar also said that general parking rules are unknown to the people; like the area 45 meters ahead of a bus stop and 50 meters before a turning are no-parking zones. People indiscriminately park their
vehicles in these zones, leading to traffic jams at junctions, and to buses going slow.
Datar identified areas which are strictly no-parking zones. This provision has led to free flowing traffic on roads like Western Express Highway, the stretch between Prabhadevi and Worli Naka, and Annie Besant Road. He is of the belief that this model should be replicated across the city’s arterial roads.
Abhishek Kelkar, a resident of Chembur who uses his car to commutes daily said, ”The solution to the growing number of private
vehicles on the road is to strengthen the license issuing mechanism. If we have stringent rules for issuing licenses, bad divers will be taken
off the road. Meanwhile, constructing multi-storey parking lots in
selected areas of congestion will save space.”
Rekha Rupani, who also uses her car daily said, “I don’t mind paying high parking charges. The city transport is slow and dirty, which makes me uncomfortable.”
However, Sudhir Badami said, “The city has very few car owners. Over 75 lakh people travel by buses and trains. We have made their commute difficult or jam-packed for the comfort of a few car owners.. This is against the democratic existence of our city.”
Eeshanpriya MS
