When road is free,who needs a parking lot?

Outside the lot,the road is swarming with cars,parked haphazardly beside buildings like Platina,Raheja Vibgyor and the Citibank office. Inside,33 security and parking employees are waiting to begin work.

“Our hotel has its own basement parking that will accommodate 300 cars of guests. The multi-level car park is meant for all office buildings in the G Block of BKC including the two International Baccalaureate schools in the vicinity. But when people can park for free,they don’t want to pay to do so,” said a spokesperson for Trident Hotel. The new lot charges Rs 17 for one hour and Rs 6 for every additional 30 minute,higher than the BMC’s soon-to-be revised rate of Rs 10 an hour.

MMRDA additional commissioner S V R Srinivas said MMRDA will issue orders to the 90-odd office buildings in G-Block asking their employees to use the parking lot and not park on the road. “We have written to the traffic department asking them to tow away vehicles parked on the road,” he said.

The MMRDA has called for tenders from firms interested in managing the BKC car park in return for a monthly licence fee. Trident Hotel has the first right of refusal; it can choose to manage the car park at the highest rate quoted by bidders.

This is not the first time that one of MMRDA’s multi-level parking lots has failed to serve its purpose. The very first such lot,built in the premier business district of Nariman Point,had met with a similar fate. Larsen & Toubro Crossroads Ltd was allowed to build the Inox multiplex and the CR2 mall in exchange for some built-up space and 250 of the 500 parking slots. “But even today,cars are illegally parked on the road outside NCPA and other office buildings,hindering traffic movement,” said an MMRDA official.