GST pushes parking charges

GST pushes parking charges
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Highlights

The newly-introduced Goods and Services Tax (GST) seems to have hit even railway passengers in the Twin Cities hard as the vehicle parking service charges at the Secunderabad Railway Station have been now increased by 18 per cent. Both hourly charges and 24-hour charges for two-wheelers and four-wheelers have been gone up by 18 per cent.

​Hyderabad: The newly-introduced Goods and Services Tax (GST) seems to have hit even railway passengers in the Twin Cities hard as the vehicle parking service charges at the Secunderabad Railway Station have been now increased by 18 per cent. Both hourly charges and 24-hour charges for two-wheelers and four-wheelers have been gone up by 18 per cent.

The sudden rise has come as a rude shock to the commuters using the parking service as there was no prior notice. Charges for two-wheelers which was Rs 10 each for the first two hours with additional Rs 5 for every extended hour, has risen to Rs 12 for the first two hours with additional Rs 7 for every extended hour.

For four-wheelers, the charges rose from Rs 40 to Rs 50 for the first two hours and charge for additional each hour has been raised from Rs 20 to Rs 25. Charges for 24-hour parking for two wheelers rose from Rs 40 each to Rs 50 and four-wheeler rose from Rs 340 each to Rs 400.

However, the parking agency has been allegedly collecting higher amounts than the revised rates, which actually amounts to be around Rs 48 for four-wheelers. Similarly, nearly 80 paise is being collected extra for two-wheelers. The agency has been allegedly rounding off the amount to the highest number and robbing public ruthlessly.

Commuters travelling to different parts of the State on a regular basis said the GST effect on hiked parking charges had made huge difference to their monthly expenses. Jagadeesh (32), who travels to Warangal, parks his two-wheeler at the Secunderabad Railway Station.

He said prices had now almost come up equal to his rail ticket fare. “The previous parking fee was Rs 70 for 12 hours but that has been increased to Rs 100 now. In the near future, I am scared the train ticket fare will be equal to the parking fee.”

However, hourly charges have not seen much of a raise. Commuters travelling out of the city every once in a while, parking their vehicles at the parking lot for more than 24 hours, said the new prices had made their monthly travels more expensive.

Even though there was a signboard before the implementation as a warning, Murthy (56) travelling out of the city every month said that the rise in service charges came to him as a shock as the notice was put up shabbily.

“Who can trust a piece of paper put with a tape as a sign? The new rise came to me as a shock as I park my car here for 36 hours and I pay for 2 days which becomes expensive,” he said.

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