A senior official from MMRDA said that bidders want to invest in parking lots, but on the basis of operations and maintenance. (Representational Image) A senior official from MMRDA said that bidders want to invest in parking lots, but on the basis of operations and maintenance. (Representational Image)

Parking woes in Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) are unlikely to end soon, as the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) is yet to get a response from any bidder for constructing a parking system, despite repeated extensions.

The MMRDA, which is responsible for the infrastructural development of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), had invited tenders for the construction of a multi-storey parking lot at BKC. Five plots have been identified for the project. Between March and November 15, the MMRDA has reportedly extended the tender submission date several times, but no bidder has expressed interest for the project so far.

As per the tender document, a bidder has to design, build, finance, operate and manage automated smart parking in the area.

A senior officer from MMRDA said BKC is a business district with a large number of financial institutions —ICICI Bank, Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services Limited, NABARD, NSE and Bank of India. Besides, it is also developing as an educational hub, an officer said, and the office of the Commissioner of Income Tax is also likely to start up at there soon.

Looking at the scenario, the officer said, the development authority created six parking plots in the area-plot number 3 in G-block with an area 7,071 square metre (sq m); plot number RG-1B with an area of 5,350 sq m; plot numbers R1-5 and R1-8 with an area of 15,799 sq m in G-block; a plot in GN-block near Arya Vidya Mandir with an area of 591 sq m; and plot number R1-10 in GN-block with an area of 3,370 sq m.

“If the parking issue is not solved soon, this will for sure create obstacles in the growth of BKC. Many multinational companies are seeking offices in the area, and parking is one of the important components of any property, whether residential or commercial,” an MMRDA official said.

Another senior official from MMRDA said that bidders want to invest in parking lots, but on the basis of operations and maintenance. “But here they have to design and build a multi-storey parking system, which requires a big amount of money that smaller units don’t have,” the official said.

MMRDA joint project director Dilip Kavathkar said, “No bidder has responded yet. But looking at the plots and the growth of BKC, bidders can expect a good return on investment. We are planning to extend the dates one more time.” Nearly 50,000 vehicles come and go from BKC daily.

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