TOI: Builders have to give two parking slots to tenants: August 28, 2008 | Traffic : News Articles | Newspaper Articles

Mumbai: In a move that has far-reaching implications, CM Vilasrao Deshmukh on Wednesday cleared a BMC proposal asking developers to provide double the parking space in all upcoming residential and commercial buildings in Mumbai.

The move could push up the price of a flat by at least Rs 5 lakh, a builder who did not wish to be identified told TOI. “No builder is going to absorb the cost of providing double parking space,’’ he added.

Deshmukh also gave the green signal to a parking lot under the iconic Cross Maidan to tackle the acute shortage of parking space in the Nariman Point-Fort business area.

Senior government officials said the BMC’s new parking policy might soon be extended to all big cities in the state. Once in practice, it would mean that developers would have to account for two cars and provide twin parking slots for each flat. For commercial buildings, too, space for parking would have to be doubled.

The BMC had submitted a proposal to the state urban development department seeking amendments to both private and public parking policies. The existing parking norms in private buildings—both residential and commercial—are laid down in the Development Control Rules (DCR) of 1991. BMC authorities had argued that parking had become a issue of deep concern in the last few years and could not be addressed by DCR, 1991.

BMC’S CAR SEVA

The state government has cleared the BMC proposal to force developers to provide for two car parking slots per flat. In upmarket areas, where rules already provide for two slots, builders will now have to double that space. The move is expected to push up rates of flats in the city

BMC has also got the green signal for an underground car park at Cross Maidan in south Mumbai. The lot will be used to house the thousands of private vehicles that visit the central business district in Nariman Point, Churchgate and the Fort area. Tenders are likely to be floated soon

NORMS BASED ON LOCALITY

Double-level parking: Bldrs may have to make space

Mumbai: Private and public parking of vehicles is a matter of great concern for the BMC. The corporation had pointed out that the three regional transport offices (RTOs) in Mumbai register almost 400 new vehicles every day. In addition, the RTOs issue 800 to 1,000 permanent licences every day. People already own multiple cars, even before the launch of the Tata Nano, said BMC officials.

It is against this backdrop that the urban development department headed by the CM cleared the amendments sought by BMC to its earlier parking policies.

T C Benjamin, principal secretary (UD), said the nod for the amendments showed the state’s firm intention to resolve the complicated parking issue. “Developers would have to provide double parking space at the time of construction itself. Or else, cars will spill over onto roads and encroach public space,’’ he said.

In upmarket areas in the island city and even in plush suburbs, people usually have more than two cars with parking space only for one.

Elaborating on the new norms, Benjamin said parking space in a private building would depend on the locality. “Buildings in areas like Malabar Hill or Pedder Road already need to provide two parking slots for each home. Now, the developer would have to provide parking space for four cars for a flat,’’ he said.

Officials said developers would have to come up with double-level parking in their buildings to adhere to the new parking norms. Asked about the public parking policy, Benjamin said the BMC could now go ahead with the construction of a full-sized parking lot under the Cross Maidan at Churchgate. “But the underground facility is strictly to be utilised by the BMC to facilitate parking of vehicles visiting the central business district of Nariman Point-Fort, not for any other purpose,’’ he said.

R A Rajeev, additional commissioner at BMC, said the civic body had been pursuing underground parking for long and Wednesday’s decision was a big relief. “Now that the state has cleared it, the BMC will soon call for tenders to develop the parking lot under Cross Maidan,’’ he said.