KARACHI: The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) on Monday informed the Sindh High Court that it operated 49 charged parking sites in the city and 33 of them were being run through contractors.

Appearing on behalf of KMC before the bench headed by Justice Mohammad Iqbal Kalhoro, a lawyer submitted that the KMC only allowed single-lane parking.

He submitted that through a council resolution approved by the Karachi administrator in January the KMC allowed auction of 33 parking sites.

When the bench took up for hearing a petition against charged parking in the city, the KMC and district municipal corporations (DMCs) of South and Korangi districts filed reports along with auction record of parking sites in the light of the court’s previous order.

The KMC in its report submitted that the contracts of 33 sites were awarded by way of open auction and 16 parking lots were being run by KMC itself being experimental sites.

The report stated that the KMC charged parking fee was being collected under the Sindh Local Government Act, 2013 and Charged Parking Bye-Laws, 1975.

It added that in case of overcharging, the KMC was taking a prompt action against such contractors while three district-wise vigilance teams had been formulated to check overcharging, it maintained.

It said that of the 33 sites being run by contractors, 16 parking sites were in district East, nine in South, seven in Central and one in Korangi.

Nine sites in district East, three in Korangi, two in Central and one each in Malir and South districts were being run by the KMC itself, it added.

The DMC-South in its report stated that there were 65 single-lane parking sites under its administrative control while the DMC-Korangi argued that public notices were published for auction of charged parking sites.

The bench issued directive to provide copies of the reports to the provincial law officers, who sought time to go through the same and assist the court on the next hearing.

The lawyer for the Cantonment Board Karachi also sought time and the bench adjourned the matter for March 14.

Published in Dawn, March 1st, 2022