Now, pay to park at 64 more lots

Sandeep Rana

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 16

While keeping the base price same, the General House of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation today resolved to run parking lots on an hourly basis and convert 64 new parking lots into paid ones.

The House, however, approved 20 per cent increase in the base price per year for the next five years. For the first time, the MC introduced a 10-minute free pick-and-drop facility at all paid parking lots.

At present, Rs 5 and Rs 10 are charged for two-wheelers and four-wheelers, respectively. According to the agenda approved today, in the existing 25 paid parking lots and the new 64 lots in Sectors 7, 19, 22, 23, 24, 36 and on Madhya Marg, the same rates will be charged for the first four hours after the 10-minute free period.

However, after four hours, these will be doubled. In the third slab, after 12 hours, the prices will be doubled again till 24 hours. A sum of Rs 2 will be charged for keeping a helmet with workers at the parking lots. There will also be a facility for day passes at Rs 20 and Rs 50 for bike/scooters and cars, respectively, in the single parking zone (half of the parking lots). Monthly passes will be issued at Rs 200 and Rs 400 for two-wheelers and four-wheelers, respectively, in the single zone.

This time, a provision has also been made for electric vehicles. These will be charged half the rates.

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The rates at the MC parking lots near multiplexes - Piccadilly, Elante and Fun Republic - will be Rs 20 for two-wheelers and Rs 40 for four-wheelers. Earlier, addressing the House, BJP councillor and parking committee chairman Arun Sood said: “We have not increased the rates. We have only fixed these on an hourly basis for better management of the parking lots. For the first time in the city, we have introduced a free 10-minute pick-and-drop facility.”

MP Kirron Kher objected to the provision of adding another slab of doubling the charges after 12 hours of parking a vehicle.

“After the second slab of doubling the price after four hours, there should not be any further increase. Why should people park their vehicles at night at the MC parking lots? It is also a matter of security of vehicles. Vehicles parked at night should be towed away,” she told the House.

However, MC Commissioner KK Yadav and councillors, including Arun Sood, Gurpreet Singh Dhillon and Shakti Parkash Devshali, tried to convince her by citing several reasons behind people parking vehicles beyond eight hours or at night.

The MC Commissioner told Chandigarh Tribune, “The charges after four hours will again be doubled after 12 hours. After 24 hours, the next parking cycle will start.”

However, these new rates and arrangements will be applicable after 90 days of allotting a tender to a company when the firm brings in smart features. The parking lots have been divided into two zones and one or two companies can run these.

Congress councillors stage walkout

All five Congress councillors staged a walkout from the House over the parking rates. “In the name of smart parking, people were fleeced last year. There weren’t sufficient CCTV cameras and boom barriers. Even when space is not available, vehicles are allowed inside parking lots. We asked them to increase the rates only when the new company brings all smart parking features. The BJP-ruled corporation has betrayed people,” said councillor Devinder Singh Babla, Leader of the Opposition in the MC House.

Former mayor and BJP councillor Davesh Moudgil, too, was in favour of increasing the rates after one month of allotting the tender to a firm when it makes the parking smart. However, he was countered by his partymen. 

MC to run multi-level parking lot

The Sector 17 multi-level parking lot will be the only parking space in the city that will be operated by the civic body itself. Officials said they would take several steps so that more people park their vehicles in the lot. The corporation has planned to start the valet service. Motorists can leave their vehicles at the counter and will be dropped at the Sector 17 Plaza in a car free of cost.

No entertainment tax on movie tickets

The MC rejected the agenda for imposing entertainment tax on movie tickets. As per the proposal 20 per cent tax was to be imposed on tickets below Rs100 and 30 per cent on tickets above Rs 100. As the agenda came up for discussion, local MP Kirron Kher, who is an ex officio member in the MC House, strongly objected to it. The BJP leader said when other states and UTs were not imposing it, why did Chandigarh want to take a lead in charging the tax. Earlier, nominated councillor Sachin Kumar Lohtiya said if the MC was facing a fund crunch, this tax should be introduced to increase the revenue. 

New parking rates 

First 10 minutes free  in all 89 paid parking lots

Two-wheelers  Rs 5 | Rs10 after four hours | Rs20 after 12 hours

Four-wheelers  Rs10 | Rs 20 after four hours | Rs40 after 12 hours

Passes available  (20 per cent increase every year)

Rates at mall parking 

MC’s parking lots at multiplexes - Piccadilly, Elante and Fun Republic: Rs 20 for two-wheelers and Rs 40 for four-wheelers

Licence cancellation clause for firms 

On sixth overcharging

On sixth ticket-related violation

On sixth smart feature violation

On displaying advertisement