Kolkata, July 31 -- The state government will launch a mobile App ahead of Durga Puja to help motorists locate vacant parking spaces in real time, view map-based parking availability and pay parking fees digitally.
Urban Development minister Agnimitra Paul also announced that vehicles parked outside designated zones will face penalties from September 1, with Kolkata Police enforcing the rules strictly.
"I have asked the police officers to take strict action and fine any vehicle parking in no-parking zones. I have asked them to be proactive in this and launch a special drive from September 1," Paul told the media. Around 15,000 authorised parking spaces within the Kolkata Municipal Corporation area had already been identified, the minister added.
She further pointed out: "Fresh tenders will be invited for operating these parking facilities, while parking attendants engaged by successful bidders will be issued identity cards and required to wear uniforms to improve transparency and accountability." Paul also stated that around 4,000 parking locations from which the government currently receives no revenue have also been identified.
Meanwhile, Paul had earlier announced a set of modern and stringent measures aimed at tackling illegal parking, traffic congestion and indiscriminate garbage dumping across both urban and rural Bengal.
The minister said that her department had already started issuing notices, making it clear that vehicles will now have to be parked only on the designated side of the road where authorised parking zones exist. "We will not allow any illegal parking," said Paul, acknowledging the immense inconvenience caused to commuters due to years of unauthorised illegal parking. She also stated that her department would introduce geo-tagging technology to make Bengal cleaner and garbage-free.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.