Hyderabad: GHMC to start new parking policy

Adarshnagar: To curb and prevent the practice owners of commercial establishments overcharging customers in terms of parking fee, the Directorate of Enforcement Vigilance and Disaster Management (DIR-EV&DM) of GHMC is to unveil a 'parking policy' in Hyderabad and also in urban areas of Telangana, regulating parking fee in all commercial establishments.

According to the Director of (EV&DM) Vishwajit Kampati, instructions are being issued to commercial establishments to ensure adherence to the policy in City and to bring uniform functioning and accountability. "Strict enforcement will be done as soon as the process timeline is completed," he said.

The EV&DM Director on Thursday issued notices to all commercial establishments of city, in which he stated that the State government has released GO 63 to regulate parking fee in commercial establishments.

As per the building rules, owner of a commercial establishment has to provide parking to meet the demand generated by their employees and customers. But it has come to the government's notice that huge parking fee is being collected.

The department issued orders which state that while the duration of parking up to first 30 minutes all commercial establishments should provide free parking. Hence, no fee should be collected from any person.

The order says that above 30 minutes and up to one hour all commercial establishments should provide free parking if a person produces the bill of any amount in proof of having done shopping in respective mall/multiplex.

In case of other persons, prescribed parking fee for the duration may be collected.

For parking duration of more than one hour, if a person produces a bill/movie ticket to an amount that is more than the parking fee (in proof of having shopped in the respective mall/multiplex), free parking facility should be extended to him. In case of other persons, the prescribed parking fee for the duration may be collected.

When asked, if hospitals can charge for parking, Kampati said "hospitals also come under its (GO) ambit. the complaint mechanisms are being readied and would be brought into effect once the process timeline is completed."

Officials of EV&DM and MA&UD have inspected certain malls, multiplexes and found some shortfalls like, parking tickets not being issued to customers, complete details not being written on parking ticket and date-time not being mentioned.

"We are issuing a format for parking ticket which should be followed without fail. The name of agency with address and mobile number should invariably be printed on tickets," said Kampati.

The parking ticket should be handed over to a customer even if the parking amount is not applicable, the fee is to be collected by 'paid' stamp mark. If not chargeable, 'exempted' should be stamped and handed over to a customer with in-charge signature, he said.

In the GO the department mentioned that the policy should be followed within 15 days from the date of receipt of notice. The directorate will start inspection thereafter. If the policy is violated a penalty of Rs. 50,000 per instance will be imposed under Section 24 & 28 of Telangana Apartments Act & Rules, 1987.