In the present system, vehicles parked without a sticker within the authorized limits of the civic body at night are clamped by the KMC staff and the owners have to pay fines.
Kolkata Municipal Corporation (file photo)
Illegal night parking could now cause more hassles to vehicle owners. The Kolkata Municipal Corporation is in the process of launching an app similar to that of the city traffic police, where rule violators would be informed through a message about the illegal parking at night.
In the present system, vehicles parked without a sticker within the authorized limits of the civic body at night are clamped by the KMC staff and the owners have to pay fines. Motorists are supposed to obtain a sticker by paying amounts fixed by the KMC.
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However, despite a full-fledged system in place, some of the councillors during the monthly House of the KMC as well as during the recent budget session underscored the problems of indiscriminate night parking in various wards. Highlighting the subject in the House during the recently-tabled annual budget session, Left councillor Madhuchhanda Deb claimed that illegal parking was causing loss of revenue. She also claimed that such vehicles were posing hurdles in the road sweeping and cleaning tasks of the workers of the solid waste management department. The CPI veteran demanded plans by the KMC for curbing such malpractices.
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To combat the issue, according to the member-mayor-in-council for parks and square of the KMC, Debasish Kumar, the civic body is in the process of launching an app on the lines of Kolkata Police. “We will not have to hit the streets to clamp the illegally parked vehicles. For this, an app has been finalized in which like the traffic police. Vehicle owners would be able to know about the fine and the illegal parking through a message on their mobiles.”
As underscored by the MMiC, the civic body had earned Rs 17 crore plus in the year 2022-2023. In the ongoing financial year of 2023-2024, the department is said to have collected Rs 16 crore till 19 February. “In the coming one-and-a-half months, the figure is expected to reach Rs 18 crore,” informed Mr Kumar. “Apart from this, many tenders are yet to be finalized,” he added.
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