BMC slashes parking fines; unveils new calculation formula

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has introduced a formula-based penalty for unauthorised parking which will be equivalent to about 40 times the existing parking charges, said officials.

In July 2019, the civic body had introduced new parking rules and levying steep fines for unauthorised parking within 500 metres of designated public parking lots or BEST bus depots. The penalty was ranging from Rs 5,000 to Rs 23,250.

The move, however, was came under fire from the citizens as well as public representatives. Even Mumbai Parking Authority (MPA) termed it as arbitrary and exorbitant. Hence the civic body forced to review it.

Hence, under retired IAS officer Gautam Chatterjee, the MPA undertook a comprehensive review of the parking charges and came up with a new formula-based fine.

The new fines for four-wheelers has come down to Rs 4,000, for two-wheelers, it will be Rs 1,800, Rs 7,000 for buses and Rs 10,000 for heavy vehicles, according to a new circular issued earlier this week.

According to a civic body official, a four-wheeler owner will have to pay Rs 4000 fine for unauthorised parking, as the fees for 12-hours parking at parking lots is Rs 100. Similarly, the penalty for unauthorised parking calculated in case of other types of vehicles and it will be inclusive of towing charges.

For four wheeler vehicles, earlier, the fine for unauthorised parking was Rs 10,000 with a late fee of ?170 per day, if the owner failed to retrieve the vehicle.