KMC makes parking free
The Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) will make parking free from December 16 allowing vehicle owners to park without any fee in New Baneshwore, Pyukha, Khichapokhari, Pipalbot, New Road, Kalimati, Chabahil, Maharajgunj and Kamladi areas.
The board meeting on Friday took the decision to this regard till another decision is taken, according to the executive officer of KMC Laxman Aryal. KMC had been charging parking fees as per the Local Self-governance Act and Regulations. Aryal revealed that parking has been made free as the provision for charging fee expired at the end of mid-July. KMC has also formed the vehicle parking monitoring and management taskforce.
Notice boards will be pasted at the entry and exit points of the parking areas for the short-term free parking arrangements. Aryal said demarcations and notices will also be kept at certain places for parking. “The vehicles parked outside demarcated area will be slapped with a fine of Rs 1,000. The deployed staffers or offices will be provided 20 percent of that collected fine as incentive,” he added. He revealed that parking will only be allowed in a fixed format. There will be demarcations of breadth of 2.5 feet and nine feet for motorcycles and four-wheelers respectively. KMC can even remove the parking areas if that makes movement of vehicles and public difficult.
He stated that short-term management, long-term plan and infrastructure development will be done in coordination with the Department of Roads, Department of Transport Management and the Kathmandu Valley Traffic Office. KMC had invited bids for 73 parking spaces dividing Kathmandu into nine areas in March. The parking contractors had then moved the Patan Appellate Court and the Supreme Court claiming that the KMC’s step is illegal. Aryal said arrangements for free marking have been made as the matter is still sub judice.
Very minimal amount was being deposited in the KMC’s account in lack of selection of parking contractors through free competition. The informal sector has been forcibly charging parking fees in the name of clubs, local communities, and temples.
प्रकाशित मिति:
December 05, 2013