Bombay HC demands key for parking issue

Mumbai: The Bombay high court has urged the state to “show a will” to come up with a plausible solution to the parking problem in the city and frame a comprehensive policy to address the issue. The court said that rather than implementing solutions on a trial basis, the state should suggest some concrete measures to solve the issue. Meanwhile, the Amicus Curiae has told the court that he would be submitting suggestions for a policy after having a joint meeting with the advocate general and concerned authorities.

A division bench of justices Naresh Patil and G.S. Kulkarni was hearing the public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Janhit Manch, an NGO that sought directions to the authorities to come up with a solution for the traffic and parking issues in the city. The court had appointed advocate Sharan Jagtiani as Amicus Curiae, and sought suggestions to solve the problem.

On Thursday when the problem came up for hearing, the Amicus submitted a list of suggestions to solve the parking problems that included assigning specific timings for parking on arterial roads.

However after advocate general Ashutosh Kumbhakoni informed the court that the authorities were trying out various schemes to solve the problem, the bench observed that merely trying out solutions was not the answer to the parking problem.

The bench further suggested that the need of the hour was to frame a policy, even if the people did not favour it. “Involve the local politicians and ask them to convince the public on the benefits of the parking policies. The politicians need to show a will to solve the problem, only then can a solution can be found,” said the bench. The matter has been posted on July 26 to allow the Amicus to come up with a suggestive policy that can be implemented by the government.