[blackwasp]

Mumbai has just a few designated parking spaces. However, thanks to the BMCs scheme, many builders are constructing parking spaces and handing them over in lieu of higher FSI. The parking slots at such places vary from a little over a 100, all the way up to 700+. Daily rates are to the tune of Rs. 100 - 250, while monthly rates vary from Rs. 2,000 to all the way up to Rs. 5,000.

While many are a boon to the congested commercial areas they belong to, some are being used as enthusiasts to store their prized possessions. Considering real estate prices, renting a parking spot or two here on a monthly basis is cheaper. Many places I visited told me that majority of the slots were occupied by pass holders. Upon a short visit inside where possible, I could see many older cars and some even under the covers parked nonchalantly.

Here are some of the parking lots where long-term parking is more popular than daily slots.

Altamount Road, right opposite Ambani's building:




Elphinstone Road parking:


Jupiter Mill compound:




CR2 Parking, Nariman Point: Catering primarily to the Nariman Point commercial buildings, you can spot many oldies parked here. There are almost 8 levels of parking totalling to over 750 slots.






Kohinoor Square parking: With close to 1,000 parking slots, this is the newest among the others. While it's not as popular as the rest, its is slowly gaining in popularity thanks to abundant parking and cheap rates.


Parel (E) Parking:

Source

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[ABHI_1512]

Dedicated parking spaces like the ones mentioned above, go a long way in reducing the congested road spaces across the cities. While the main city center across cities have already long exhausted the spaces, it’s the new age parking lots that needs to built and operated successfully.

But then, if the administration is not serious about making the motorists use the parking lots, then there is no point building them. Here in Calcutta, two dedicated parking lots, one in Loudon street and also the underground parking at New Market, Esplanade, both are terribly under utilised. The main reason is that street parking is still allowed just outside the modern parking lots and due to the ease and the lesser rates, motorists still prefer to park their vehicles outside on streets then inside the dedicated parking lots !!

Of course, long term monthly parking is in vogue but that hasn’t actually helped in reducing the congestion on the roads since the dedicated parking lots still remain empty during the day. The actual motive of building these parking lots is not to provide parking to enthusiasts but to lessen the burden on public road spaces. Of course, it helps the multiple car owners or enthusiasts too since they get use the secure parking lots at decent amounts.

The city roads need dedicated parking at strategic places to decongest the roads. With hawkers occupying the footpaths at many places, it’s the parking lots that will majorly help in making the city roads safer for pedestrians. Only if the authorities give a little thought in implementing the suggestions of the town planners more than thinking about the vote banks

[varunsangal]

Originally Posted by blackwasp

While many are a boon to the congested commercial areas they belong to, some are being used as enthusiasts to store their prized possessions.

Know this via second hand knowledge, but the MCGM lot near Peddar Road has an entire floor of the pay and park hired by a chap who owns a largish collection of cars. Have always meant to go there and feast my eyes, perhaps one day soon.

Or organize the next TBHP meet there if we can convince the owner...

[ajmat]

Not many of these in Bangalore, there are a few located in transit stops like ShanthiNagar Bus station. Quite a few high end taxi's which are now unused are parked there.

[GTO]

These are sensible options for parking your car:

- If you live in a low lying area and your building floods up. Makes sense during heavy rains

- When you are travelling & need a secure place

- Your building / compound is under renovation.

[Rahul Bhalgat]

Originally Posted by ABHI_1512

Dedicated parking spaces like the ones mentioned above, go a long way in reducing the congested road spaces across the cities. While the main city center across cities have already long exhausted the spaces, it’s the new age parking lots that needs to built and operated successfully.


The city roads need dedicated parking at strategic places to decongest the roads.

Only if the authorities give a little thought in implementing the suggestions of the town planners more than thinking about the vote banks.

Look at the financial viability:

One parking space = 5 m x 2.4 m = 130 sq ft
Revenue generated: Rs. 1000 per day typically.

One small shop in the marketplace: 130 sq ft
Revenue generated: Rs. 12,000 per day typically.
Gross profit: Rs. 3,000 per day typically.
Plus asset appreciation.
Plus employment generation.
Plus more business for already generated employment (like autorickshaw, canteens, courier, tempo, tax practitioner).
Plus property tax for the municipal corporation.
Plus GST for the State / Central Govt.

So, the parking space to free up the congested roads does not seem to be viable. In a country like ours, roads will never be free. If the present cars parked on roads are put inside the public parking, it will simply attract more cars to the freed up parking space on the roads.

Though the public in general and we all BHPians would like to have the public parking spaces, it does not seem to make sense financially.

[ABHI_1512]

Originally Posted by Rahul Bhalgat

Though the public in general and we all BHPians would like to have the public parking spaces, it does not seem to make sense financially.

Not every decision of the government has to be driven by profitability, certainly not when it comes to providing services to its own citizens. If that was so, then many welfare programs and organisations would have been long dead !!

The authorities need to make the city streets free of congestion, both from the pedestrian as well as transport point of view. Dedicated parking spaces at one place solves the problem of urban mobility to a large extent if proper planning is taken care of.

[Rahul Bhalgat]

Originally Posted by Rahul Bhalgat

Look at the financial viability:

One parking space = 5 m x 2.4 m = 130 sq ft
Revenue generated: Rs. 1000 per day typically.

One small shop in the marketplace: 130 sq ft
Revenue generated: Rs. 12,000 per day typically.
Gross profit: Rs. 3,000 per day typically.
Plus asset appreciation.
Plus employment generation.
Plus more business for already generated employment (like autorickshaw, canteens, courier, tempo, tax practitioner).
Plus property tax for the municipal corporation.
Plus GST for the State / Central Govt.

In a country like ours, roads will never be free. If the present cars parked on roads are put inside the public parking, it will simply attract more cars to the freed up parking space on the roads.

Originally Posted by ABHI_1512

Not every decision of the government has to be driven by profitability, certainly not when it comes to providing services to its own citizens. If that was so, then many welfare programs and organisations would have been long dead !!

The authorities need to make the city streets free of congestion, both from the pedestrian as well as transport point of view. Dedicated parking spaces at one place solves the problem of urban mobility to a large extent if proper planning is taken care of.

More parking slots (or infrastructure of any kind) will simply attract more users and the congestion level will remain same. Let us not expect congestion free streets even if the parking spaces are built.

And taxes are not profits. Govt. does not work with profit motive. From Govt.'s point of view, the option of allowing a commercial complex instead of a parking space creates more employment and generates more taxes, brings more people under the ambit of economic activity. So, economically as well as politically, it is more feasible and viable alternative.

When a commercial complex is being built, the local administrative machinery as well as the local politicial organizations get active participation in every way. This is one more reason from the political angle.

Another thing is the availability of land. To construct a 5 storied parking space for 1000 cars, you need a 50,000 sq ft land. This more than an acre of land. Even for half the capacity, you need minimum half acre land with approach from main road. The places needing parking are the bustling markets with hectic commercial activity. In Mumbai, how will we manage to get half an acre or one acre of land near Kalbadevi or Churchgate? And the cost of this much of land will be in hundreds of crores. So these hundreds of crores (besides another 50 crores for the construction of parking space) are better invested for shops instead of car parking. People will use Autorickshaw or taxi or local train.

And parking space for 500 or 1000 cars at Churchgate is nothing! It is not going to reduce the congestion. When 1000 cars go into the parking space, additional 1000 cars (which were avoiding to come so far due to parking hassles) start to occupy their space on the roads.

[Axe77]

I am just curious that if these are used by long term folks, what is the level of safety and security for your cars here. If these are standalone parking, would they be a hangout for unsavoury characters, are the cars susceptible to some mischief / damage / even theft.

That is the one aspect I would be concerned about, specially if I were to keep a less used car away from my primary home for long periods here.

[rkv_2401]

Our Elantra has been parked in the covered parking lot of the MRTS station opposite our home for 4 or so years now. They have dedicated guys(three of them on shifts) to take care of the parked cars, assist the drivers in parking, etc. It was quite useful in the sense that a) you could take the car out and come back whenever you want, the guys are always there and you don't have to worry about disturbing them or anything b) you can speak to them and ensure that any cars visiting your home can be parked safely and without inconveniencing other road users in the large area outside the parking lot - this is better than parking on the roads IMO. They charged 2500/- a month in rent, which was pretty reasonable, but they demanded a bonus for festivals, Ayudha Pooja etc.

Originally Posted by Axe77

I am just curious that if these are used by long term folks, what is the level of safety and security for your cars here. If these are standalone parking, would they be a hangout for unsavoury characters, are the cars susceptible to some mischief / damage / even theft.

It was safe enough, there weren't many unsavoury characters allowed inside, and most of the time in the early mornings there are friendly cab and auto drivers awake and buzzing when the rest of the city hasn't woken up yet. They would alert us if say, any of the lights were left on or something of that nature, although that's probably because I see them everyday on my way out of home anyway. The place is quite dirty, though.

Unfortunately their tenure expired at the start of this year, and then COVID struck, so the parking lot has been locked down and we are unable to access our car. It's been stuck there since June or so.

[SnS_12]

The one in CR2 mall is a boon for people like me working in Nariman Point as that place is like a nightmare to get parking if you reach post 10 am and more so with more people driving down (including me) in absence of local trains.

Other benefits of parking at CR2 mall over parking in the open.

a) Shaded parking over parking in the open under the harsh summer heat.

b) Less chances of damage to your vehicle as the cars in the open are made to be parked close to each other to free up more space as compared to proper spaced out parking in the mall. Also, at times you need to hand over the key to the parking attendant to will parallel park your car till a space is freed up and they literally drive the cars as if they have stolen it

c) Chances of a tree falling on your car during monsoon, which is quite common in Nariman point.

d) Finally, the CR2 parking prices are same as parking in the open. It was not the case a few months or over a year back as it was considered expensive and people avoided parking over there.

[bongSENse]

I believe there is another public parking space in Mumbai where owners keep their cars for extended periods of time: Basement 2, Crystal Point Mall, Andheri West. I'm not sure about the specificities though.

Originally Posted by ajmat

Not many of these in Bangalore, there are a few located in transit stops like ShanthiNagar Bus station. Quite a few high end taxi's which are now unused are parked there.

This place houses quite a few rare exotics and beauties of the yesteryears. There were many of these, but I could capture only a few due to paucity of time:







If you look closely, you'll be able to spot a T-BHP sticker on the Innova

[ajmat]

Originally Posted by bongSENse

I believe there is another public parking space in Mumbai where owners keep their cars for extended periods of time: Basement 2, Crystal Point Mall, Andheri West. I'm not sure about the specificities though.

You'll find these cars appearing on TeamBHP classified - belongs to some car dealer called Javed. None of these cars have got sold so far
https://www.olx.in/item/volvo-others...iid-1291190535
https://www.olx.in/item/mercedes-ben...iid-1586359777
https://www.olx.in/item/toyota-other...iid-1290159187
https://www.olx.in/item/toyota-other...iid-1289965595

[bharatbits]

Is Kamala Mills compund parking also one of the dedicated free parking spaces by BMC/ MCGM/ MMRDA?

The Utopia parking lot within Kamala Mills is charging an absurd, flat Rs 150 parking charge even if you park for 1 hour or 12 hours. Is that even authorised?