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NEED SPACE ON ROAD? PAY MORE
Congested Streets And Parking Problems May Become A Thing Of The Past If The BMC Can Implement These Plans …..Sharad Vyas | TNN
The plan to impose congestion tax on vehicles in Mumbai has been talked about for some time. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has now, for the first time, put the proposal on paper to be discussed by policy-makers.
The BMC, in its draft traffic policy, has said it wants to impose a premium on cars driving into busy-traffic areas during peak rush hours. This tax, officials feel, will encourage more people to use public transport as it will make driving — and parking — vehicles in Mumbai more expensive. The need for extra toll, they say, will become imperative once the low-budget cars — now in various stages of conceptualisation and production — hit the road.
“The state government has been planning to introduce congestion tax for a long time. We plan to support that move,’’ additional municipal commissioner R A Rajeev said.
The new traffic policy, to be debated by leaders of parties in the BMC on March 14, seeks to find solutions to unplanned parking that reduces space on roads by more than 20 per cent. It recommends encouraging residents to set up mechanised parking machines in areas that are free of floor-space index (FSI) rules. The policy also calls for the setting up of a unified parking body — Mumbai Municipal Parking Authority (MMPA) — to regulate parking norms all over the city.
Also on the BMC’s agenda are introducing a network of one-way streets, installing more railings along roads, heavier charges for long-term parking, more underground and multi-storeyed parking, a hike in parking charges and development of community parking lots in open space. But not everyone feels it will be practical to introduce congestion tax right now. Expatriates who visit Mumbai frequently say taxing vehicles in the absence of a high-quality, multi-mode public transport is unfair. “The existing public transport system in Mumbai is fractured and, till a better alternative is provided, such a tax should not be imposed,’’ Dubai bank executive M Radhakrishnan said. He pays 16 dirhams (about Rs 160) every day as congestion tax in Dubai. Experts support him. “Is it possible for the old and the ailing to use public transport in Mumbai? How can there be congestion tax before public transport is improved?’’ Western India Automobile Association chief Nitin Dossa asked. State s e c re t a r y (special projects) Sanjay Ubale agreed: “We will think on these lines only after upgrading public transport.’’
But experts agree there is an urgent need to replace current parking norms. “These rules are unrealistic. The Development Control Regulations-1991, for example, provide parking space for those owning 1000-square-foot flats. But now even a 400-square-foot flat owner has a car,’’ World Bank urban development consultant Prakash Apte said.
THE PROCESS 1. The draft policy will be submitted to leaders of political parties in the BMC for discussion on March 14. 1. Total road space in Mumbai: 63.31 square kms 2. Unusable road space: 13.8 square kms (because of unauthorised parking and other problems)
3. Usable road spacei: 49.51 square kms
4. Vehicles in Mumbai: 14 lakh (2007 figure)
5. New vehicles registered daily in Mumbai: 400
6. Projected number of vehicles in Mumbai in 2011: 16 lakh (without taking into account the new small cars that may hit the road by then)
THE SCARY FUTURE 1. BMC officials shudder to think of the chaos on Mumbai’s streets once the small cars, now being conceptualised and produced, hit the road. This fear has prompted the 2. BMC to draft a proposal for a new transport policy. THE BRAINWAVES The BMC has come out with three important proposals to streamline traffic and parking in Mumbai THE PROPOSAL This tax can be charged by means of a system that would make it mandatory for motorists to pay a premium for using the busier roads during the rush hours. The Maharashtra government or the BMC has not yet explored the feasibility of such a system. Traffic experts feel there may be another hitch; imposing such a tax may not be practical till there are alternative means of public transport for all sections of society, including the old and the invalid. “Our existing public transport is fractured and, till the Metro or monorail comes, congestion tax is not practical for Mumbai,’’ a spokesperson for Mastek, an IT company that help put in place the Congestion Charging Project in London, said on Wednesday. Existing and new societies will have to instal mechanised multi-storeyed car-parking facilities on open space that is free of FSI regulations. Experts doubt the viability of this plan in spacestarved Mumbai. “Where is the space to instal such machines in existing societies? I am standing in Churchgate right now and, as far as I can see, none of the buildings has an inch of space left,’’ Western India Automobile Association (WIAA)’s Nitin Dossa said. Establish the Mumbai Municipal Parking Authority (MMPA), which will regulate all parking. This authority needs to include planners, representatives from enforcement agencies, judiciary and members from citizens’ forums. “It’s an encouraging move. But how and when this will happen is a big question mark. The MMRDA, the MSRDC and the BMC have, for years, been trying to solve parking problems in isolation. It’s time they realised the seriousness of the matter,’’ Mumbai Environmental Social Network (MESN)’s Ashok Datar said, reacting to the BMC’s proposals. THE OTHER IDEAS FOR A SEAMLESS JOURNEY AND HASSLE-FREE PARKING ONE-WAY IS THE WAY TO GO Develop an efficient network of parallel oneway streets to increase speed of traffic. Create multi-storeyed car parks; such parking areas can be constructed at the BMC’s payand-park sites. Make it mandatory for housing societies to provide space for visitors’ cars; many societies, in violation of Development Control Regulations-1991, display boards restricting entry of visitors’ cars. Conversely, residents of buildings should not be allowed to park cars outside. Cars should not be parked within 15 metres of major intersections to increase speed of flow of traffic. MORE RAILINGS Construct more railings to discourage pedestrians who get down on the road to catch buses and taxis; this will make traffic flow smoother. DON’T PARK FOR TOO LONG Discourage long-term parking and restrict parking of vehicles up to three hours at the most at a single parking space; this will increase the availability of parking space. Long-term parking (above a certain period of time at the same space) should be at least 1.5 to 2 times of the normal parking rate. HIKE RATES Make off-street parking economically viable; make nearby areas noparking zones for this purpose. Also charge higher rates; the charges in Mumbai are abnormally low as compared to parking rates in other countries.COMMUNITY PARKING LOTS Develop community parking lots in each ward; the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) should be enlisted to conduct a survey to find out such space in the city. GO UNDERGROUND TO PARK Develop underground parking facilities on plots reserved as recreation grounds and playgrounds. Construct malls and commercial facilities near such parking areas. FUTURE CAN BE ROSY BUT EXPENSIVE: The BMC has put forward a proposal that would make driving — and parking — cars more expensive; officials feel this would encourage people to use public transport
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