Kolkata: In a bid to crackdown on illegal parking at night, Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) is planning to impose hefty fines from next year.
The decision was taken in consultation with the city police wherein fines will be imposed upon the vehicles concerned based on the CCTV footage provided by the police.
The civic body, it was learnt, will also send its inspectors to take photos of the illegally-parked cars at night on city streets.
It was further learnt that traffic guards in cooperation with the police will reportedly keep a vigilance after 10 pm and inform the civic body in case they come across violations.
Debashish Kumar, Member Mayor In Council (MMIC), Parks and Squares and Parking department, highlighted that according to KMC’s rule, cars can only be parked on roads which are 18-feet-wide and with permission from KMC. No cars can be parked on roads which have width less
than 18 feet.
“KMC is conducting night drives thrice in a week. We are attaching stickers to cars which are seen parked on the road, asking the owners to contact KMC so they can legally park their cars at night on the road by paying a fee,” he said.
KMC, this year so far, has allowed night parking for some 400 cars. For this, the owners are paying Rs 600 per month. This has already fetched KMC revenue of around Rs 25 lakh, said
the MMIC.
Kumar said that KMC is presently conducting night drives against illegal parking in areas where although car parking spaces have been allotted in the building sanction plan, people are keeping it on the road.
He explained: “In colony land or in added areas, five to six storey buildings have come up on narrow roads. The flat buyers bought them at cheap prices. Over the years their financial conditions improved and they also ended up buying cars. Now because the majority of these buildings do
not have any garage space, cars are being kept on
the road.”