mid-day Opinion: Authorities must crack down on illegal parking

Representational Image

Mumbai's most precious resource - space - is back in the news again, for the wrong reasons. A stretch of Juhu beach near Sunil Dutt Garden - an intertidal zone that has suffered from unauthorised vehicle parking for years - is now seeing a growing number of vehicles parked daily, with locals claiming no significant action by authorities to date, our report stated. According to locals, the spot has become a permanent parking area for commercial transport vehicles from nearby businesses and autorickshaws.

A local stated that at least 30-50 vehicles have made the beach a permanent parking spot.

There are also large vehicles that supply lights and other items required for film shoots. We have learned that there is a politically connected individual who is controlling these spots and charging a parking fee.

The alarming aspect is the number of vehicles that have been parked is on the rise. We need signage saying this is illegal, and authorities coordinating to monitor this space. We cannot have different agencies passing the buck about whose jurisdiction this falls under.

A senior police inspector from Santacruz did accede that one-off, sporadic measures against the parking will not do and a more coordinated, smoother solution is needed with different official arms working in tandem for a permanent end to this.

It is important that the authorities investigate whether claims about individuals making money by giving parking are true and act accordingly. Given the history of this city, with its parking rackets, this may very well be credible and in fact, can be a substantial fraud. Crack down on complaints.