3 more parking lots for city

Mumbai: The Maharashtra government has approved three more public parking lots under the revised parking floor space index (FSI) policy, for over 1,300 vehicles. Thirty-five projects have been approved under the scheme, most of them in the island city. 

    The new lots are at Altamount Road (behind Jaslok Hospital), and in Ghatkopar and Mulund (LBS Marg). 
    "The lots will be a huge relief for people as parking space in the city is scarce," a senior civic official said. 
    Another 13 proposals approved by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) are awaiting the state government's nod. 
    The state government had announced a policy under the development control regulation (DCR) 33 (24) under which a developer will get a floor space index of up to four in exchange for the construction of parking lots, to encourage private developers to build them. 
    The 2008 policy had to be revised after experts termed it "builder-driven". 
    The first parking lot under the new scheme began operations in June at Apollo Mills, NM Joshi Marg, and two in Sakinaka and Goregaon will become operational in around three months. 
    Under the current policy, parking floors are restricted to four, and the minimum area of the plot required to avail of the policy has been increased from 700 sqm to 1,000 sqm in the island city and 2,000 sqm in the suburbs. 
    The civic body presently has 92 parking lots under the pay & park scheme for 10,-314 vehicles. 
    PAY & PARK 
The state government has approved three more public parking lots 
    Altamount Road, behind Jaslok Hospital (Lodha Developers) 204 vehicles 
    Mulund, LBS Marg (Runwal Developers) 330 vehicles 
    Ghatkopar, LBS Marg (Wadhwa Developers) 800 vehicles 
    Of 32, one in Lower Parel at Apollo Mills has started functioning, while two in Sakinaka and Goregaon will be operational in three months