The Bombay High Court expressed its displeasure over the non-uniform policy in Maharashtra regarding the allotment of parking spaces for vehicles.
Passing the judgement on Thursday, the bench headed by Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice GS Kulkarni said that authorities should not permit citizens to hold multiple vehicles if they don’t have sufficient space for parking them.
Hearing a PIL submitted by a Navi Mumbai resident and activist Sandeep Thakur challenged a notification passed by the government that amended the Unified Development Control and Promotion Regulations Rules, allowing developers to decrease parking space.
The bench said that authorities "should not allow families owning only one flat to have four or five cars if they do not have sufficient parking space" available in their respective housing societies.
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In his petitioner, Mr Thanku stated that the developers don't allocate adequate parking areas in the new apartment colonies and therefore compelling the residents to park their vehicles outside the housing sobriety compound.
The court noted: "Reduction in the purchase of new cars is needed. You can't permit one family to have four to five vehicles just because they can afford it. You should cross-check if they have parking spaces or not."
Evaluating the rules questioned in the Petition, the high court said that if favourable and proper policies on vehicle parking are not legislated it would result in chaos.
"All roads are flooded with vehicles and everywhere, 30 per cent space of roads is taken away by parking on both sides. It is a common phenomenon," the court said.
Noting the issues to be genuine public concerns, the court said that they should be taken into consideration and the government should establish long-term steps so that the society doesn't turn up chaotic.
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"There has to be a policy in place," it added.
State's counsel Manish Pable has been directed to lodge a response to the PIL within two weeks.