Mumbai: Residents of Mahim request Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and other local authorities to construct a multi-storey or underground parking lot for locals of Mahim west area.
Residents claim with lack of parking spaces they are forced to park in no-parking areas. Further the traffic police are issuing e-challan if they find the cars or bikes parked in the no-parking zone.
Farooque Dhala and Irfan Machiwala, both activists and residents of Mahim, have recently written to Chief Minister, Uddhav Thackeray, BrihanMumbai Municipal Commissioner, Iqbal Chahal and Kiran Dighavkar, assistant municipal commissioner, G-North ward.
Farooque Dhala, who is also a member of Mahim residents group claims that they also met the traffic police and local politicians discussing the issues. He further said, "The biggest issue currently for Mahim West residents is parking penalties. There is no parking space in our societies. Forcing residents to park on the road and get fined by the traffic police. After residents started approaching us with such complaints we met different authorities and local bodies and found the only option was a parking lot. It will help reduce parking on the roadside and traffic mess afterwards," he added.
Dhala added, "The authorities need to understand that the number of vehicles, including cars and motorcycles, is going to increase in the coming years. Making available enough space for parking is necessary. Residential vehicle owners should be allowed to park their vehicles below their buildings. Local residents should be given passes and their cars and bikes should not be clamped," added Dhala.
Irfan Machiwala, a social activist from Mahim said, "Motorists and bikers who reside in old buildings don't have individual parking spots, traffic police should provide no objection certificates (NOCs) to allow vehicle owners to park their vehicles in the street near their residence. If we don’t have a designated place to park, where will we park our vehicles? To reduce street parking, the emphasis should be on constructing multi level parking lots to full capacity. BMC must first provide enough alternatives for parking, and construct underground and multi-storey parking. Otherwise, the idea of imposing a penalty will not work like in the case of the plastic ban," added Machiwala.
Sada Sarvankar, Shiv-Sena, MLA from Mahim said, "Firstly we will see that every new construction or high rise in the area has a parking lot in it. Most of the roads are congested with vehicles being parked on the road resulting in traffic issues. We are also planning for a parking lot near the Mahim reti bunder area. Even if we plan any parking lot, it should be in the one kilometer radius so that people could take benefits from it," added Sarvankar.
Satish Chaware, senior police inspector, Mahim traffic police station confirmed that he had received a letter over the parking issue. But said he was on leave and could reply if he resumed back.
