Kolkata: KMC set to hike parking charges by 2 to 10 times – Times of India

Kolkata News
KOLKATA: The KMC on Wednesday proposed a two- to 10-fold hike in parking charges for cars and two-wheelers in the city. The longer a vehicle is parked, the steeper will be the fee.
The move will not only ensure a higher revenue for the civic coffers but also may lead to parking slots being freed up within limited time, given that the high parking rates are likely to pinch motorists’ pockets. Civic authorities said the new move could also discourage people from buying personal vehicles and instead encourage the use of public transport, which would, in turn, cut down on congestion and air pollution.
The proposal mentions Kolkata as the second among the most polluted Indian megacities.
But several motorists contend that the proposed rate only legalised the steep rates that unscrupulous parking attendants had been charging so far by flouting the rules.
The proposal, approved at the mayor-in-council meeting on Wednesday, has hiked the parking rate for the first two hours by two-times, from Rs 5 per hour to Rs 10 per hour for two-wheelers, and Rs 10 per hour to Rs 20 per hour for cars. Thereafter, from the third to the fifth hour, the rate jumps by four-times to Rs 20 per hour for two wheelers and Rs 40 per hour for cars. Beyond five hours, the increase is 10-times to Rs 50 per hour for two-wheelers and Rs 100 per hour for cars. So far, the official car parking fee for two-wheelers has been a uniform Rs 5 per hour, with no graded increase by hour. Similarly, for cars, it has been Rs 10 per hour. Sources said the car parking department would proportionately raise the charges KMC got from parking agencies.

The increase in parking fees were proposed at an earlier MiC meeting on April 16 but the rollout was held back following differences that cropped up.
Near shopping hubs, a vehicle is usually parked for two to three hours. Once the hike is implemented, a shopper arriving in a car will have to cough up Rs 80 for three hours, instead of the Rs 30 so far. For those, who add a meal to shopping, the time spent often goes up to four hours and parking fee may soon become Rs 120 instead of Rs 40 now. Those who combine a meal with cinema and spend up to five hours, will see the parking fee rise from Rs 50 to Rs 160.
The change is likely to affect office-goers the hardest. Parking for 10 hours, which so far set motorists back by Rs 100 a day, will now cost Rs 660. The new rate chart does not have a monthly fee that enables office-goers to take a discounted rate for the whole month.
Motorists, who were so far fleeced by parking attendants flouting the norms, said the proposal put a stamp of approval to their demand. Even parking agencies fear confusion and consequent confrontation might break out between motorists and parking attendants over fees charged beyond two hours, as the hike rate will be graded. The solution would be installing display boards with the fees written on them at parking lots, they said.
While motorists are unhappy with the proposal, environmentalists welcome the move as they feel it will discourage people from using personal cars and instead, they will go for cabs or public transport. Some felt the KMC could rename the new rates as “congestion charge”.

Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/kolkata-kmc-set-to-hike-parking-charges-by-2-to-10-times/articleshow/94975254.cms