Mumbai: The Bombay High Court recently disposed of a petition seeking that vehicles owners be allowed to park their cars and motorcycles below flyovers in Mumbai. The state government in 2008 had put an end to parking below 27 of the flyovers in Mumbai and allotted the spots for beautification. The petition challenged this decision, saying lakhs of vehicles come into the city every day and the parking situation is worsening by the day.
The HC, while disposing of petition, observed that it cannot be said that there is no parking mechanism at all in Mumbai. If there is any failure or deficiency at any particular place, it is open to the petitioner to point out specific instances so that the authorities concerned, that is the BMC and the traffic police, can address the said problems. If they don’t take note of the complaint, the petitioner can move the HC, the court said.
Chief Justice Manjula chellur and Justice N.M.Jamdar were hearing PIL filed by Prashant Polekar, a from Khar East who in his petition has claimed that citizens have been facing parking issues with the increase in number of vehicles, and that this issue should be addressed at all levels.
Advocate Uday Varunjikar counsel of a petitioner earlier argued that everyday more than 1 lakh vehicles enter Mumbai, and since they don't have proper parking space, they keep moving on roads or they park on the sides and thereby increase congestion on roads. A suggestion made by the petitioner is that only those persons who have parking space be allowed to purchase cars. This will ensure that parking and double parking on roads is not done he added.
Since the beginning the state was backing it’s decision and argued that after the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attack this decision had been taken for the security point of view.
The HC recently disposed of the petition, filed for allowing parking below the flyover bridges in Mumbai. The state in the year 2008 had stopped parking below the 27 flyover bridges of Mumbai.
The petition had challenged this decision saying lakhs of vehicles comes in Mumbai everyday and parking issue is increasing. The court while disposing of petition didn’t interfere in the state government’s decision.
