Mumbai’s BEST Depots To Offer Pay-And-Park Service
BEST will charge Rs 20 for three hours and up to Rs 215 for a day for different category of vehicles.
The Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport, the operator of Mumbai’s bus service, has stepped up to help ease the city’s parking problem.
The BEST introduced pay-and-park services in 27 of its depots across Mumbai, according to the public transporter’s website. The decision came after Mumbai’s parking authority suggested that the BEST can open up its depots for public parking as they remain empty during the day when the buses are out ferrying commuters.
That comes as the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation decided to impose a fine of at least Rs 10,000 on illegally parked vehicles within 500 metres of the corporation-designated parking lots.
This isn’t the first time that the BEST has decided to provide pay-and-park services. A 2015 initiative failed as the parking fees was considered high. The BEST is hoping to have more takers this time for its empty parking spaces after reducing rates. It now charges Rs 20 for three hours to Rs 215 for up to 24 for different category of vehicles.
On purchasing a parking ticket from a BEST depot, a motorist can either use it three times at the same depot or once at three different depots. The new parking fee structure also has a monthly pass option.
As of now, the BEST has decided to give out parking spaces to corporates in lots and is hoping that the move will help resolve the traffic situation in the city to some extent by getting vehicles off the road.
The idea behind providing this facility was to reduce illegal parking and the streets become more empty, thereby increasing the speed of the BEST buses as they ferry commuters.Hanumant Gophane, Public Relations Officer, BEST
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