The Mumbai civic body has steeply increased parking charges for all types of vehicles at Byculla zoo effective from this month. The hike turns out to be four-fold for cars and six-fold for two-wheelers, reported the news agency PTI.
Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Zoo and Botanical Garden authorities justified the parking charge hike, saying it was necessary to discourage local people from using the zoo’s parking lot. According to officials, the revised charges are still lower compared to other parking facilities in the area in south Mumbai.
Visitors will now have to pay Rs 30 for parking two-wheelers for three hours, a six-time rise from the previous Rs 5. The revised car parking charges will be Rs 80 and Rs 120-150 for buses, going up from the previous Rs 20 and Rs 100, respectively.
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These rates are applicable for three hours, after which additional charges of Rs 10, Rs 30, and Rs 40-50 per hour will apply for two-wheelers, cars, and buses, respectively. “This decision was taken to discourage nearby shopkeepers and others from using the zoo parking at the cheaper rates of Rs 5 for bikes and Rs 20 for cars for the whole day,” a senior Zoo official told PTI.
The zoo, popularly known as Rani cha Baug is one of the major tourist attractions in Mumbai which attracts thousands of visitors annually, especially children. The zoo, rich in flora and fauna, is home to Humboldt Penguins and tigers.