Move to impose fee on parking cars outside houses flayed

Sukhmeet Bhasin

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, April 15

Residents have criticised the state government’s plan to impose parking fee on the people parking their cars outside their houses on streets in 10 municipalities, including Bathinda, by August 31.

Raising questions on the state government’s proposal, they have said the Congress government is coming up with new taxes and new plans that are putting additional burden on the common man.

CA Atul Garg, a city resident, said, “It is a surprising decision as there are a large number of people everywhere, who don’t have space but have vehicles and they park these outside their houses on streets. This trend is more in metros and other cities where the space is less and vehicles are more, but there also we have not heard such thing. Why is the Punjab Government taking such a step?”

He said with such a decision, it seems that now politicians didn’t want the common man to have a car as from now onwards, people will have to arrange space for parking the car before purchasing it.

Gurleen Kaur, a city resident, said, “This is a totally wrong decision and the state government should rethink this move as it would affect a large number of people across the state.”

She questioned the government over inadequate parking lots in the city and said instead of providing multi-storey parking lots, the state government had come up with this decision.

AAP state media spokesperson Neel Garg said, “The day is not far when the government would also impose a tax on breathing in the state.”

He said parking was a serious issue and instead of addressing it, the state government was putting burden on the common man.

Garg added that after taking road tax on purchase of new vehicles, the state government was unnecessarily looting people by charging hefty tolls on all routes across the state.

As per the policy, shopkeepers, office-goers and others need to park their vehicles in off-street parking facilities.

Parking rates would be applicable based on time, day, duration and size of the vehicle as larger vehicles will be charged more. The parking fee will be revised after every quarter.