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Wednesday, February 27, 2013

You may have to pay for driving into SoBo, western suburbs


Mumbai: Motorists may soon have to pay a congestion charge for driving into south Mumbai and the western suburbs, if the state approves the proposal made by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA). 
    Mumbaikars may also have to pay development charges in the form of taxes against appreciation of their properties and businesses due to upcoming infrastructure projects such as sea links, metros and monorails. 
    "I think the city should follow the Singapore pattern. Buying cars there isn't easy; in fact, it is very expensive. Besides, there are heavy road taxes and congestion fees. After all, there will be a limit to elevated roads in a city like Mumbai," MMRDA commissioner Rahul Asthana told the media on Wednesday, a day before his retirement. "Time has come for Mumbai to think on these lines now… restrictions on private vehicles through congestion tax or heavy taxation on buying vehicles may be imminent." 
    Senior MMRDA officials said Asthana has forwarded the recommendations to the state, which will soon take adecision. 
    "I wonder how vehicles move on the packed S V Road," he said, upholding the idea of the MMRDA collecting property tax or 10% development charge in Bandra-Kurla Complex and other growth centres, such as Wadala and Oshiwara, where it is the planning and development authority. 
    Asthana said Mumbai also needs more parking facility and there should not be any hesitation in collecting betterment charges from people around the project areas, offering them development and heavy appreciation in terms of property prices and business prospects. A 1978 batch IAS offer, Asthana, will retire on Thursday after serving the MMRDA for two years. He is expected to join the MERC's judicial commission after a month's hiatus. 

HC COMMITTEE'S MAJOR RECOMMENDATIONS 

    SET UP AN URBAN MASS TRANSPORT AUTHORITY: The authority will be given all legal and financial powers for efficient implementation and coordination of traffic projects 

Agency responsible: 
Urban 
development (UD) department TIMEFRAME 2 Years 
    PROVISION FOR VICARIOUS LIABILITY: A proposal will be tabled to amend the Motor Vehicles (MV) Act to hold the 
owner of the vehicle equally responsible for certain offences committed by the driver 
Agency responsible: Home or transport department 
TIMEFRAME 2 YearsREFRESHER TRAINING: The MV Act will be amended to make refresher course mandatory for every licence holder 
Agency responsible: Transport department 
TIMEFRAME 3 Years 
CONGESTION PRICING IN SELECT AREAS: It will be a system of surcharging users 
of public goods that are subject to congestion through excess demands 
Agency responsible: UD department 
TIMEFRAME 3 Years 
RESTRICTION ON REGISTRATION OF NEW VEHICLES: A proposal will be 
send to the government to amend the MV Act and restrict registration of new vehicles 
Agency responsible: Transport department 
TIMEFRAME 2 Years 
CREATE A TASK FORCE TO SELECT MODERN TECHNOLOGY:The task force 
will study use of 
radio frequency identification 
device and CCTV system to detect traffic offences 
Agency responsible: Home department 
TIMEFRAME 3 Years 
    NEW EQUIPMENT TO ENFORCE TRAFFIC OFFENCE AND DELEGATION OF POWER: 
The proposal will involve procuring wireless CCTV cameras, GPS system, hydraulic cranes, helmets 
with communication sets, tint meters among other equipment for the traffic police. Police naiks and constables will be given power to impose the MV Act. At present, only head constables and their seniors are authorized to do so 
Agency responsible: 
Home department 
TIMEFRAME 1 Year 
    A STRONG AND EFFECTIVE PARKING POLICY: The policy will involve systemizing onstreet parking in which no 'change of use' permission will be given unless 
provisions of 
mandatory parking 
requirements are followed 
Agency responsible: UD department 
TIMEFRAME 2 Years 
ESTABLISH A COMPREHENSIVE PARKING UNIT: It will look after all on 
road, off road, vertical parking management using smart cards 
Agency responsible: UD department 
TIMEFRAME 3 Years SPECIAL UNIT FOR ACCIDENT MANAGEMENT: 
Accidents account for 20% of road 
congestion. The special unit will be given modern equipment to remove damaged vehicles as early as possible 
Agency responsible: 
BMC 
TIMEFRAME 1 Year





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