Most establishments on the roads have violated sanctioned plans by misusing parking space with nexus of builders with NMC’s Town Planning Department
Nagpur: The officials of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) have again found napping as the civic body is yet to start the on-street pay and parking at eight places in Nagpur city even after approval by the city traffic police three months ago. The result is: Motorists across the city keep being penalised for parking vehicles on roads, according to a report in a local English daily.
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According to the report, the office of DCP Traffic had also asked NMC to provide details if there are parking lots in commercial complexes, residential complexes and educational complex situated on the eight streets where permission for off-street parking had been sought. The report said that most establishments on these roads have violated sanctioned plans by misusing parking space. This occurred due to the alleged nexus of builders with NMC’s Town Planning Department, which deliberately overlooked violations of the sanctioned plan. Most buildings violated the sanctioned plan by converting dedicated parking spaces into commercial use like shops. At many places, eating joints are being operated from the basements of multi-storey buildings.
Notably, the NMC had identified 75 on-street parking places across the city. As a pilot project, Municipal Commissioner Radhakrishnan B had asked to start street pay and park at 10 places. Of these, the city traffic police had given the nod to start on-street parking on eight stretches. NMC also issued tender to demarcate roads for parking of vehicles. But nothing has happened after that.
As per the report, recently, the city NGO Janmanch had criticized NMC and city traffic police for lifting parked vehicles from city roads after the fine for no-parking was revised to Rs 760 for two-wheelers and Rs1,020 for four-wheelers. NGO President Rajiv Jagtap said the local administration, including NMC and traffic police, should first create parking places. After making sure parking lots have been created, they should start penalising motorists for wrong parking, he pointed out.
Data obtained from traffic police shows lifting of two-wheelers and towing of four-wheelers by a private firm has fetched the government exchequer Rs 55.60 lakh between June 1, 2022, and October 25. The highest number of motorists were penalised by Sitabuldi Zone for wrong parking. As many 2,858 owners of both two-wheelers and four-wheelers were fined. It was followed by Sadar, where traffic cops penalised 2,837 vehicle owners, while 2,283 vehicle owners paid fines for on-street parking to Sonegaon traffic police. Traffic zone of Cotton Market penalised 1,979, Sakkardara (1,180), Ajni (319) and Lakadganj (48) for wrong parking.
Many violators also questioned the traffic police drive of towing and lifting four and two-wheelers from city streets. At several zonal offices of traffic police, due to lack of parking space, even the detained vehicles are parked illegally on the road, the report added.
