The proposal to increase parking fees in Kolkata moved a step closer to implementation after it was passed by the civic house on Wednesday, civic officials said.
An official of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) said the new rates were unlikely to come into effect immediately.
The official said the civic body had decided to float a tender to allocate parking bays to agencies before the hiked rates were implemented.
Cooperative agencies that manage parking bays in the city have been doing so for at least a decade, without having to compete with anyone to bag the rights.
“It is difficult to say when the new rates will come into effect. We are trying to implement them between December and April. We will publish advertisements in newspapers and let people know about the rates before they come into effect,” the official said.
Another official said: “The KMC will notify the new rates. No one can collect parking fees at the new rates unless the KMC notifies them.”
The Telegraph had on October 20 reported that the mayoral council of the KMC had decided to hike parking fees across the city and the new rates were at least double the current ones.
The new parking fee for four-wheelers is Rs 20 an hour for the first two hours. The current rate is Rs 10 an hour from 7am to 10pm. Parking attendants at many places charge more in violation of rules.
According to the new rates, the parking fee for cars is Rs 40 an hour from the third till the fifth hour. Thereafter, the rate is Rs 100 an hour.
The existing rates are uniform, while the new ones are graded.
Now, a car owner or driver has to pay Rs 10 an hour from 7am to 10pm, irrespective of the number of hours the vehicle remains parked. From 10pm to 7am, the rate is Rs 30 an hour.
The owners of only a handful of cars pay the night parking (10pm to 7am) fee. As for two-wheelers, the current rate is Rs 5 an hour, irrespective of the number of hours a vehicle remain sparked.
According to the new rate, the parking fee for a two-wheeler is Rs 10 an hour for the first two hours. From the third till the fifth hour, the rate is Rs 20 an hour. For every hour beyond that, one has to pay Rs 50.
A Kolkatan asked whether the KMC would force the agencies managing parking bays to give receipts with the entry and exit time mentioned on them after the new rates came into effect.
“The KMC should also ensure that all parking bays have boards with the rates properly displayed,” she said.
