Public-parking lot drive clicks with developers

“We have received 59 proposals from across the city to allow for public parking complexes. A traffic police committee will scrutinise these proposals and give the permission,” a senior official from the road department said.

A majority of these proposals are from the city area — 36,13 from western suburbs (Bandra Kurla complex,Andheri and Goregaon) and 10 from eastern suburbs (LBS Road,Mulund). As per the proposal,the land should be at least 700 sq m and allow space for a minimum of 50 cars.

Though not all the 59 proposals will be approved for creation of parking lots,the BMC and the traffic police will fix the total number of parking spaces required on a particular stretch of road.

The proposals received from land owners on that stretch will be considered on the basis of their suitability for public parking.

Detailed project reports of eight locations have so far been sent to the traffic police.

The additional FSI will be 50 per cent of the public parking lot if the location is within 500 sq m of the railway station,proposed Metro station or government offices. The FSI will be 40 per cent of the location if it is beyond 500 sq m. The FSI will be up to a maximum of 1. The incentive FSI,which cannot be utilised on site,will be given in the form of Transfer of Development Rights (TDRs) that can be utilised in the same ward or in the suburbs.

While experts fear that developers will hand over the captive parking space to the BMC in name of public parking,thus depriving the building residents of parking space,civic officials said this would not be allowed.

“The public parking space will be independent of the captive parking space. Developers cannot hand over the compulsory parking space of a housing complex. The committee will scrutinise these loopholes and only then permit the construction,” one of them said.