Chandigarh: The municipal corporation has tied up with BSNL to send messages asking around nine lakh owners of vehicles registered in Chandigarh to opt for parking passes. In the messages, the civic body has tried to persuade vehicle owners to avail of the parking facility in its paid parking lots.Launched in Jan, the “one pass” will be valid for all the 75 paid parking lots under the jurisdiction of the MC. The outreach exercise is aimed at popularising the newly-launched facility and enhancing corporation revenue.“We have taken records of around 9 lakh vehicles with the Chandigarh registration number from the Registering and Licensing Authority (RLA). These registration numbers will be shared with BSNL officials. The MC has prepared the message, which will be sent to BSNL after approval of senior officers,” sources in the MC said.Though the final charges are to be decided upon, sources said initial discussions with BSNL indicated that the civic body would have to pay between Rs 70,000 and Rs 80,000 to BSNL. “After sending the messages, we will assess public response. If the exercise proves to be effective, it may be repeated in a few months,” sources said.Recently, the MC parking branch held camps to inform people about the passes, for which they collaborated with market welfare associations and other public groups. Such camps may be held again. “Since many people are not tech-savvy and cannot take the passes through online mode, the authority is thinking about organising the camps again. Municipal councillors also raised this demand in the general house meeting earlier this month,” sources said.Box: Discount on passes The MC has approved a 10% discount for the annual pass. Usually, the annual pass for a four-wheeler costs Rs 6,000. For a two-wheeler, it is Rs 3,000. After the discount, the annual cost will be reduced to Rs 5,400 and Rs 2,700 respectively. MSID:: 130495370 413 |
