Coimbatore, December 14
Contractors engaged by the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) to maintain its parking lots in the city are taking people for a ride by charging more than what has been fixed by the Corporation, allege social activists.
With no prominent display boards showing charges and details of time slabs, these contractors are fleecing people, they lament.
"Two Corporation parking lots are very proximate to Konniamman temple and Raja street, one of the major shopping hubs in the city. They have not only remained major parking places for those who want to park their four-wheelers before shopping, but also turned out to be places where every rule governing the functioning of Corporation parking lots is mostly observed in breach,” charged Mr. Manoj, a social activist.
Not only these two but also every parking lot of the Corporation and maintained by contractors presents the very same story, he added.
While contractors of Corporation parking lots issue receipts for the parking fees they collect from people, majority of them took care to ensure the fee receipts do not show the details regarding parking fee charges for every six hours as mandated by the City Corporation, he added.
Satishkumar, a resident of Thudiyalur and a regular commuter, has said the Corporation parking lot at Raja street issues parking fee receipts but takes it back from people once they return to take their vehicles.
It is mainly being done to avoid legal problems as anyone who wants to sue the contractors for their blatant disregard for Corporation determined parking fees for parking both two and four wheelers should show parking fees receipt to prove their point right in the court of law, he added.
"I parked my two wheeler at Raja street Corporation parking lot where I didn't find parking fee chart and details regarding the time slabs were blackened in the receipt,” said Mr. Dhinesh, a resident of Kavundampalayam.
The minimum fee to be paid for parking is valid for up to six hours. But without revealing the time slab, the contractors charge the rate fixed for 12 hours and thus fleece the customers, alleged Mr. Daniel, a RTI activist.
Failure on the part of Corporation authorities to conduct periodic inspections at the Corporation parking lots to check irregularities if any only emboldens the contractors to persist with their illegal acts, he charged.
"Measures such as blacklisting contractors who flout rules relating to the functioning of Corporation parking lots with impunity and informing public through media about the fee structure determined by the Corporation should be given top priority by the Corporation officials to prevent fleecing of the public,” asserted social activists.
When contacted, Corporation officials said penalties are being levied on erring contractors through periodic inspections.