In a significant development for the Breach Candy Residents Forum’s (BCRF) parking initiative, Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Anil Kumbhare has ordered site inspections to assess the feasibility of the proposed parking lots. The move follows a joint meeting held on Wednesday between Breach Candy residents, Kumbhare, and traffic officials from BMC’s D ward to seek approvals for the plan.N Lakhani, a Breach Candy resident and key contributor to the plan, shared, “The Joint CP was impressed by our parking proposal and commended the groundwork done.
He has instructed the Senior Police Inspector to survey the proposed sites. Once the traffic department gives the final approval, the BMC will proceed with execution.”The BCRF’s plan, first reported by The Free Press Journal on 13 May, outlines overground parking lots across Bhulabhai Desai Road and the Breach Candy area. It divides parking zones into ‘Residents Pay & Park’ and ‘Visitors Pay & Park’ areas. Resident parking is proposed at five locations with a total capacity of 195 cars, while visitor parking spans eight locations, accommodating up to 672 vehicles.
This plan was developed after the original two-storey underground parking scheme behind Tata Garden near Amarsons junction was shelved due to residents’ concerns over potential traffic congestion. That project, which had begun construction and aimed to hold 246 vehicles, was among four underground parking facilities planned along the Coastal Road.Lakhani explained, “Our pay-and-park model benefits both residents and the civic body.
Residents often pay fines for parking in no-parking zones. A BMC-operated system would be safer and financially viable, reducing congestion by spreading parking locations.”With the Coastal Road from Bandra-Worli Sealink to Marine Drive expected to open 24/7 from July, traffic and visitor flow in Breach Candy is set to increase. Lakhani urged swift action on the parking plan’s implementation to manage this growth.Attempts to contact Joint Commissioner Kumbhare and BMC’s Chief Engineer (Traffic) for comments were unsuccessful.
Source: The Free Press Journal.
