PARKING BLUES!

Gone are the days when a car symbolized a status or was a part of luxury since many didn't have it, but now it has become a necessity for most. By just signing a few loan papers, one can buy his dream car with the lowest and the most flexible EMI. Today buying a car is not a problem but its parking sure is for many residents of Navi Mumbai. Most of the buildings today have stilt parking and open parking space in the building itself but way back in 1980's when CIDCO planed its city of 21st century, it did not provide parking spaces in the buildings and instead promised of wider roads to accommodate parking. How ever with changing times, the luxury of having a car is changed to a necessity and this necessity is yet not digested by the concerned authorities as they implement the pay-n-park scheme in places where they had promised "Free Parking" decades back. Today many families have got two or more than two cars and if parking outside their building it would mean chipping off nearly 2000rs per month for parking. This has already created a lot of agitation among the residents and property owners of sec – 17. Representatives of sec 17 had also initiated a S ignature Campaign to register their protest against the "injustice"
The pay-n-park scheme introduced by Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation(NMMC) has seen a lot of displeasure by the residents. The concerned authorities should have first taken up a survey and categorized the parking space in front of commercial and residential buildings. It is often seen that certain measures are first taken by the government and then the survey is done to check its acceptability among the common mass, however its exactly should happen in a country which is ruled by the people. A survey before hand would have given a clear idea how a common man sees a particular change or an up gradation in his society.
ACP Nand Kumar Choughale said, " Free parking facility by CIDCO is misused by the Residents, Shop Owners, Tourist Vehicles, Taxi's, Auto's and therefore the shopping population suffers for which the parking is. The concept of pay-n-park becomes the most obvious solution to avoid the misuse of parking in and around commercial complexes. However due to displeasures shown by the residents various solution has been proposed like revamping the footpath to create more space and covering the nala near the tempo stand and provide parking space for the residents. Covering up the nala would be of a lot of advantage for the residents as it would firstly clear parking vows, and will also stop harboring mosquito's and above all beautify the entire area. Though all this remains "Proposed", ACP Choughale accepted the fact that it was a "structural fault" of CIDCO by not providing space for parking in the compound itself. Though Short Term solutions remain at bay.

ACP Nand Kumar Choughale said, " Free parking facility by CIDCO is misused by the Residents, Shop Owners, Tourist Vehicles, Taxi's, Auto's and therefore the shopping population suffers for which the parking is. The concept of pay-n-park becomes the most obvious solution to avoid the misuse of parking in and around commercial complexes. However due to displeasures shown by the residents various solution has been proposed like revamping the footpath to create more space and covering the nala near the tempo stand and provide parking space for the residents. Covering up the nala would be of a lot of advantage for the residents as it would firstly clear parking vows, and will also stop harboring mosquito's and above all beautify the entire area. Though all this remains " Proposed", ACP Choughale accepted the fact that it was a "structural fault" of CIDCO by not providing space for parking in the compound itself. Though Short Term solutions remain at bay.

The charges are applicable from 9 AM to 9 PM. A car when parked for 12 hrs daily for a month will have to chip in Rs. 1200 which surely cannot be digested by a common man. \n\n \nNavi Mumbai Municipal Corporation(NMMC) though is only earning Rs. 5 lac for a period of 5 years from the pay-n-park scheme which is given on contract basis to a private party, it is putting its reputation at stake if a balance equation is not achieved between the authorities and the common man.