Kolkata: No more physical clamping of cars as Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) is awaiting the state government’s nod to implement certain measures in its smartphone-based system which will capture the photograph of the illegally parked vehicles and send a message to the owner for payment of penalty amount.
According to the parking department of the civic body, this mobile-based system will dispense with physical clamping of vehicles and will also reduce the manpower requirement, avoid public agitation and capture more illegally parked vehicles. Presently, clamps are attached and penalties are collected on the spot or at the treasury counter. A department official said that the move will also help increase revenue for the department. Revenue of Rs 13.46 crore has been collected from parking licence fees and charges up to October 29, 2024, which is an increase of approximately 12.82 per cent over the collection of the corresponding period during 2023-24. The target is to collect Rs 21 crore approximately. Revenue for the upcoming financial year 2025-26 is expected to be Rs 30 crore approximately.
It was learnt that the online system on real-time basis for granting permission to citizens for parking during night time in front of their premises or nearby places as per choice, has generated good response as 3260 individual permissions were granted during 2023-24 and 1823 individual permissions granted so far during 2024-25. Debashish Kumar, member mayor-in-council (MMIC), Parks and Squares, Parking, said that the civic body has been able to bring down the rate of illegal parking on city streets at night.
This was also due to the parking app that was brought out allowing citizens to take a picture of an illegally parked vehicle and send it to KMC. Opposition councillor, Sajal Ghosh, however, said that illegal car parking is rampant at Burrabazar. However, department officials said for daytime parking it is the traffic police who are in charge and the civic body’s jurisdiction is only for night-time parking.