Mumbai's Prabhadevi pay-and-park lies idle over a year, residents fume

Closed gates and security guards at the Prabhadevi pay-and-park facility, which remains shut due to contractor delays, even as residents struggle to find parking nearby. Pic/Sarthak Mehta

A municipal pay-and-park facility near Motilal Oswal Tower in Prabhadevi remains non-operational more than a year after completion, even as the city continues to face acute parking shortages.

A spot check by mid-day on Thursday found the infrastructure ready, but the facility shut, with security guards posted outside an empty parking lot. Residents said the space was briefly opened earlier, raising hopes, before being shut again without any official communication. Civic officials attribute the delay to contractor-related issues.

A municipal pay-and-park facility near Motilal Oswal Tower in Prabhadevi stands fully built but non-operational for over a year, despite acute parking shortages in the area. Pic/Sarthak Mehta

Facility ready, but closed

>> Despite being fully built, the pay-and-park service has not been made operational.
>> A resident said, "It was opened for some time, giving us hope, but then it was closed again. There are no updates from the BMC on why it remains shut and when it will open, despite multiple queries."
>> Officials from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation said the facility is new and yet to become operational due to the absence of a contractor.

Vinayak Ankam

Civic response

"The contractor could not fulfill necessary terms of the contract after the tender was awarded. We are in the process of cancelling this contract and blacklisting the contractor, post which we will invite fresh applications to appoint a new contractor. We have kept the delay in mind, and we are trying to expedite the process through a short tender," stated a civic official. "We had allowed residents to park for free for a limited period during a trial phase, but that is not a policy. The facility will operate strictly as a pay-and-park once functional," another civic official added.

Snapshot

Location: Near Motilal Oswal Tower, Prabhadevi
Authority: Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation
Status: Not operational
Delay reason: Contractor failed to start operations
Action taken: Blacklisting request filed; fresh tender to be initiated

Residents voice frustration

Vinayak Ankam, Prabhadevi resident
‘I have been seeing this ready facility for the last two years. It is ready but still not operational. There is no parking space in my building, forcing me to look elsewhere. We were briefly allowed to park here, but were later asked to vacate. There has been no update from the ward office. I even wrote a letter to the ward officer, but received no response. Meanwhile, no-parking fines are piling up.'

Viraj Vyas, Mulund resident
‘I commute by car and park elsewhere nearby. I have never seen this pay-and-park operational. A notice about a contractor issue was put up some time ago.'

Rupesh Surve, Prabhadevi resident
‘The facility was built over a year ago, but the BMC has still not started it. Many of us live in older buildings without parking, so we park on residential lanes and end up paying fines between Rs 1200 and Rs 1900. Visitors to Siddhivinayak Temple also park in these lanes. This facility is important.'

Abhishek Jyotish Pal, Works nearby
‘This parking lot is very close to my office. I checked with the staff multiple times, and it remains closed. Once, I was told it was operational, but I was denied entry the next day. I now use another MCGM parking lot about five minutes away.'

1058
No of cars that the facility can accommodate