HYDERABAD: The Telangana State Road Transport Corporation is mulling hiking the penalty charge on unauthorised parking on Jubilee Bus Station premises. Notwithstanding the meagre penalties for unauthorised parking at the Bus Station, customers are being forced to compensate for the fine imposed on parking lot contractors, thus leaving the corporation with no other option but to hike the charges.
Such is the situation that the three authorised parking contractors functioning from the Jubliee Bus Station (JBS), Secundrabad are fined by the traffic management officials of TSRTC on a daily basis for parking violations. Officials opined that a fine of mere `5 per two-wheeler won’t deter the contractors from repeating the offence.
Violation
Shridhar, owner of one of the parking lots, can accommodate anywhere between 150 and 200 vehicles in the area legally allotted to him through an annual tendering process.
However, on an average he accommodates 300 to 400 vehicle by encroaching space along the periphery of the parking lot. He gets charged `5 per two wheeler for every illegal parking. What he charges a customer for a three-hour parking space is `10.
“Several customers park their vehicles inside for a month or two, and there is limited space left for others,” said Sridhar. “The additional space taken up by the contractors results in lesser space,” said Uma Shankar, assistant manager Traffic, TSRTC picket depot.
Contractors charge `50 per two wheeler
The parking lots at JBS also take higher parking charges from customers. The parking rate for a day, as per the contract with TSRTC, is `20. The contractors, however, charge `50 per two wheeler. “Every year the tendering rates go up by 10 per cent but the parking ticket prices have remained the same. We sometimes do charge higher for parking tickets for a day.
We need to make ends meet,” said Bheem Shah, another parking operator and owner, defending the rates. However, the TSRTC officials express their helplessness in taking action owing to lack of complaints. “We can only take action against them on such charges if the public lodges a complaint. We first issue warnings and eventually we terminate the contract. However, so far we have not received any complaint in this regard,” said Shankar.