The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Corporation to regulate private parking lots

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Thursday, Oct 01, 2009
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Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Corporation to regulate private parking lots

Staff Reporter

Licensing set to be made mandatory for the facilities

CHENNAI: As a first step towards regulating private parking lots and installation of mobile phone towers, the Chennai Corporation has decided to make licensing mandatory for the facilities.

Announcing this at the Council meeting of the civic body on Wednesday, Mayor M.Subramanian said that a survey of such parking lots would be conducted and rules and regulations framed. A resolution to this effect would be passed in the next council meeting. Mr.Subramanian said the private parking lots would also have to obtain a no-objection certificate from the police.

Earlier, Ward 78 councillor Lazar said that a two-wheeler parking lot near the Nungambakkam railway station had encroached upon two streets in the area.

Mr. Subramanian said he had also received a complaint that those running the parking lot were charging as much as Rs.25 per day from two-wheeler owners.

Later, the Corporation Commissioner Rajesh Lakhoni said that there were no regulations at present for such parking lots.

“We do not know how much they charge and who will be responsible if the vehicles are lost. We are looking at all possibilities. An NOC from Fire and Rescue Services would also be considered,” he added.

As regards mobile phone towers, the Mayor said that so far 2,533 towers had been identified by the civic body. The building owners would have to pay an additional amount as property tax if they rent out their premises for such telecom towers. “It would depend on the space rented out and the kind of tower installed.”

A senior civic body official said that Aircel, Vodafone and Tata Indicom had furnished details of their towers while three other operators, including BSNL, were yet to do so. The property owners charge monthly rents ranging from Rs.7,500 to Rs.20,000.

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