The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has announced a major change in the street parking payment system of Mumbai. Soon, Mumbaikars will be able to pay for parking on streets through FASTags. This move will eliminate the menace of fake parking attendants, and there will be no need for any cash transactions. To park at a designated BMC parking spot in Mumbai, the vehicle owners will have to scan a QR code that would be linked to their vehicle’s FASTag account. The parking fee will be deducted automatically after the QR code is scanned. The program seeks to stop widespread overcharging, bribery, and illegal parking agents who frequently defraud the public by posing as authorised parking staff.
A senior BMC Official told Maharashtra Times, “Numerous citizens have complained to us about fake parking attendants levying unreasonable fees. We are improving parking experience transparency, safety, and simplicity by implementing FASTag-based payment.”
This new model of digital parking system will be rolled out at selected parking lots handled by the BMC. After the trials are successful, the digital parking system will be integrated across the city, covering more than 100 official BMC parking zones.
How to Locate Parking Spots and Check Parking Rates?BMC will launch an app that will help citizens of Mumbai to locate available parking spots, show rates of the spots available, and help them keep a record of all the digital transactions.
Recently, Mumbai has witnessed several instances of parking violations and unauthorised parking attendants extorting money. Several cases were reported from high-traffic areas like Dadar, Andheri, CST, and Bandra. In these regions of the city, illegal parking agents pose as civic staff and charge people a huge amount for giving parking permits.
According to authorities, this action will stop income leaks, increase compliance, and lessen traffic jams brought on by improper parking. Mumbai residents can anticipate a safer, cashless, and scam-free parking experience as a result of this change, which is driven by accountability and technology.