Letters to the Editor

Car parking mafias

It is the duty of the Government to provide enough parking spaces. Parking, in fact, should be free for all vehicles as one-time parking charges are collected at the time of buying a car! Exorbitant challans for parking on roadsides by the local government based on its weight is nothing short of harassing and looting citizens.

If the local government cannot provide enough parking spaces, they must not allow moving of cars on roads. Paid parking must be limited and if enough spaces are not available for paid parking areas, where will people park? Are car owners required to carry the vehicles on their heads?

 Also, the idea of charging fee for parking of cars in Delhi colonies is an abandoned thought, for in March 2017, it was rightly dropped as it was a most absurd and non-viable solution.

If parking attendants mage the parking lots, then it would only add more to the problems of the residents from security perspective. In fact, commercial vehicles parked around colonies and on roadsides must be charged, rather than private vehicles.

The drivers and attendants of commercial vehicles like tempos and trucks are often involved in petty crimes and make the area near their vehicles filthy by taking bath and easing themselves in the open. Such activities make the whole essence of Swachh Bharat fall flat. Besides, not a single case of such violation has been recorded by the authorities concerned.

Further, it is a delusion that higher parking charges shall help in solving the problem of parking space across the country. Lots of black money is created by car parking mafias at present – where there are no authorized car parking charges, the mafias collect it illegally.

To put a check on these parking mafias, the authorities concerned must take suitable action and advertise in media – newspapers, TV and FM radio etc., the complete list of authorized parking sites along with the rates. Last but not the least, what about senior citizens? They cannot afford parking charges as most of them have fincial difficulties and face problems in covering long distances on foot. Moreover, the differently-abled persons are most affected by no-parking zones.

M Kumar,

B-49, Gulmohar Park,

New Delhi.