BMC proposes red-and-black kerbs to push motorists into public parking lots
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the traffic police are considering a proposal to paint road kerbs in a red-and-black pattern to clearly designate no-parking zones, starting with areas around underutilised public parking lots such as the Kohinoor Public Parking Lot in Dadar, Mumbai.
The initiative aims to discourage illegal roadside parking and encourage motorists to utilize designated public parking spaces. Currently, conventional yellow-and-black patterns are used on kerb stones.
During a recent meeting between traffic police chief Satya Narayan and senior BMC officials, authorities raised concerns over the underutilisation of the city's 37 public parking lots. Despite these facilities offering over 30,000 available parking spaces, many motorists continue to park on adjoining streets, worsening traffic congestion.
BMC Chief Engineer (Roads and Traffic) M Swami stated that officials were directed to ensure that the influence zone around these public parking lots does not witness street parking. The proposed red-and-black colour-coding system would replace the conventional pattern to clearly signal no-parking zones.
The proposal gained traction following complaints regarding the Kohinoor Public Parking Lot in Dadar. Motorists frequently park on the roads surrounding the facility despite vacant bays being available inside the multi-level structure.
According to traffic police chief Satya Narayan, occupancy in some of the city's public parking lots is currently at 50 per cent or lower. He noted that motorists may not be aware of the locations, and raised concerns about poor illumination and leakages within the facilities. Over a recent fortnight, traffic police took action against 84,000 vehicles for various parking violations.
To address these issues, the BMC also conducted inspections of public parking lots over a two-month period following complaints of poor maintenance, operational lapses, and unauthorised occupation by private operators.
As a result of these inspections, the civic body has penalised several operation and maintenance agencies. Penalties of Rs 1 lakh or higher were imposed for serious lapses, with total fines reaching Rs 40 lakh over the two-month period.
To improve the parking facilities, authorities plan to install electronic surveillance cameras, improve illumination, post wardens, and put up signage. Digital displays will also be set up to provide real-time occupancy data to motorists.
