Razen Manadhar

Kathmandu, March 3:

The Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) recognises only 10 parking areas as legal. But

there are more than 10 parking areas in the capital, and people pay to park there. According to a contract between KMC and Santos Nirman Sewa, it was agreed the company would pay Rs 2.3 million to KMC annually to operate parking lots. KMC allocated 10 places — Dharmapath, Khichapokhari, Sundhara, Shukrapath, Pyukha, New Road Pipal Bot, Shankardev Campus, Tridevi Marg (Thamel), Durbar Marg and New Baneshwor — as legal parking areas.

Yesterday KMC issued a circular stating that persons found charging parking fee in areas other than the above ten would be penalised.

Despite circulars, different clubs, NGOs and other “unseen” organisations are found to be levying parking fee at various places. And it looks like KMC is breaking its own rule as it has been found KMC itself is involved in collecting parking fee in many areas it deems illegal.

KMC Wards-29 and 30 are indirectly involved in the levying of fee in parking plots at Thamel Dabali and Bir hospital areas. A ‘Thamel Dabali Sudhar Samiti’ has been collecting parking charge at the entrance to the KMC Ward-29 office. But surprisingly, the office has made no attempt to stop this illegal practice. “We have asked them to stop it but they just do not listen,” said ward office secretary. But even after the KMC circular, he showed no commitment to stop it.

And the boy collecting the parking fee said, “The money is not all ours. We have to submit a part of it to the ward office.” The boy, who refused to give his name, added most people running private pay-parking have to give a certain amount of the day’s collection to the ward office in order to escape punishment and harassment. Moreover, none of the persons collecting parking fee wear identity cards and have no idea of the tariff. Today an owner of a two-wheeler was chared Rs 5 at Sundhara, while he should have been charged Rs 2. Interestingly enough he was handed a blue-coloured KMC receipt (62708) meant for four-wheelers. Though over 200,000 motorcycles have been imported in KMC alone, it has failed allocate a specific parking place. People either have to pay to park in illegal lots or face penalty from traffic police.

There are no notice boards and KMC has not clearly identified the legal and illegal parking areas. Parking lots at Putali Sadak and other places are still functioning despite KMC saying those are illegal. And people are still paying to park there. Chief of Implementation Department, Dhanapati Sapkota, said he is committed to stop forced pay-parking at public places and punish the defaulter. However, he could not saying anything concrete regarding the Thamel parking area. “It must be handled by the ward office. I will take action after finding out the exact details.”