PARKING in an overcrowded and mismanaged city like Karachi has always been a challenge. To make matters worse, unauthorised individuals collect unlawful parking fees at several locations. These packs of thugs who extort money claim to be hired by the municipal administration. However, they fail to provide any proof or an official parking slip.

The parking mafia is working actively and shamelessly in and around each and every commercial area — markets, malls, departmental stores, hospitals and parks. They demand money and harass people if they refuse to pay. In many cases, a traffic police car-lifter takes their vehicle away to teach them ‘a lesson’.

This illegal way of demanding money in the name of parking, without providing an official KMC receipt is totally unacceptable. Disappointingly, there is no one to stop this mafia. Those responsible for protecting the citizens are actually hand in glove with the mafias.

The municipal authorities should restructure the parking system by hiring their own staff, issuing official parking slips, and taking action against the mafia representatives so that people may park their vehicles without being intimidated.

Javeria Ahmed
Karachi

Published in Dawn, April 5th, 2023