[GTO]

Some car owners from my lane were in for a rude shock on Saturday morning. As with most people in Mumbai (and some other cities), a dedicated car wash chap was cleaning their cars, cars that were parked in the residential lane. This is a practice that has been in place for a couple of decades.

At about 0700 hours, BMC's "clean up marshalls" called them down one by one and fined them Rs. 1,000 (with receipt) for washing their cars on a public road. Cars that were being washed inside a building compound (e.g. mine) were NOT fined.

An old article on the same:

These cleanliness inspectors are part of the BMC's Clean-up Mumbai Campaign. They will be on the streets catching and fining citizens if they’re found littering or dirtying Mumbai. The initiative was flagged off on Thursday at the BMC headquarters.

City’s Mayor, Shubha Raul says, “It is being done only to make Mumbai clean, hygienic and more environment friendly. Those who are breaking the rules will be penalised.”

Spitting and urinating on Mumbai streets will attract a fine of 200 rupees. The fine amount gets steeper for cleaning cars on the road. People flouting this law will be fined a hefty 1000 rupees.

As our area car wash guy later commented, "dhaanda khalaas (end of my business)".

[shankar.balan]

i wish they would begin a similar drive in bangalore too - where they fine these construction kings/ house owners for dumping construction materials and debris on the public roads. they should also fine people for creating rubbish dumps on a public road.

[ibcool]

But the case with many mumbaikars i believe is that the parking is on the road outside the building, where would they go to wash their cars ??

I wonder why we dont find solutions to problems like these, why dont we put automated car washes in plenty across the city. We dotn leave the citizen with many options than to flout laws and then go ahead and fine them. The government is busy collecting taxes from us in various forms and then we dont see the city infrastructure expanding to an extent to bring in such laws where the common man suffers!

My car being washed inside my colony compound is still safe, but i wonder the plight of others living in the city !!

[amtak]

I wish the BMC also fines some one who bathes on the city roads. It is a common sight of people bathing near the city roads.

PS: Atleast the car cleaners do not use soap which the above mentioned catagory does making the roads even more slippery. Also, fine these large Gutkha Corporations for making the product.

PS: What happens for residents of old buildings who do not have any parking space? 1,000 daily? Any discount on monthly passes?

[Mr_Bean]

This is hilarious, I don't understand the funda of charging 1000/- as fine..
Only option would be to clean the car at night.

[deky]

It also hurts when I see people washing their cars with water hoses where 1 bucket of water is enough to clean a big car. So much of water wastage is totally uncalled for specially in a city like Jaipur where we get just 1 hr of water a day and more than half of the city has to rely on water being supplied by tankers.

A debatable move I think, But how long will this drive last in Mumbai is the question?

[amtak]

But the case with many mumbaikars i believe is that the parking is on the road outside the building, where would they go to wash their cars ??

I feel that it is the builders who are to be blamed. 16 lakhs for a stilt parking in the usual rate in an around Kandivali area. Your car costs 4 lakhs, why to pay additional 16 for "2 bheega zamin". As far as I know, even open parking spaces are not to be sold, still they are sold for as much as 4 lakhs in these so called societies.

Take a walk at Thakur Complex in Kandivali east post 7 PM or early morning and you would be surprised to see the number of cars parked on the road.

I wonder why we dont find solutions to problems like these, why dont we put automated car washes in plenty across the city.

Whats the point? 150 per wash on a daily basis considering the dust we have in the city

[WindRide]

Another hare-brained govt. move.
What is to come off it? Are such moves going to beautify our cities?
If so, will the authorities start fining the slum dwellers for answering nature's call along railway tracks? Taking bath in open?
If you extrapolate this to the various other "offensive" behaviour the fine collectors will be a busy and harried lot.

Govt is applying Iodex for Skin Cancer.

[ikoneer]

This is quite shocking. what will they do if BMC team visit's them everyday and collects Rs 1000.

Doesn't Road tax cover Washing and Parking apart from driving

On a serious note, govt allows cars to be sold to people who do not have parking space. Now there is no street in chennai without cars being parked on the roads. Its time they come out with some measures to put a check.

[ajmat]

I find using the Jap- whatever its called mop to brush car down after I reach and a weekly wash might be just enough. My car washing guy is quitting soon so I might just try this

[Sudan_NFS]

I am not sure why the BMC has to fine Rs 1000 for washing car and only Rs 200 for spitting and urinating ,it should be RS 1000 this activity instead of washing car ,because these activites cause bad odor and eyesore,but the washing a car would cause any odor or eye soar(for few hours).

[VTEC_Rocks]

Woah. This is nuts. Somebody was sitting jobless. A classic example of "Empty mind is a devil's workshop"

[NevGin]

OK, let's pay the fine, provided the BMC:

1. Does the same for all the trucks, buses, rickshaws, Tempos, etc parked on public roads
2. Builds car washes or designated areas where such activity can be carried out.

Currently almost every road in the city lies in ruins; either power cable work, gas pipeline work or the so called beautification work where they make the sidewalk and the road resemble the moons surface. And in all this they fine us for using one bucket of water to wash a car?

All I can do is applaud the lack of common sense here

[magnanimousdude]

Originally Posted by NevGin

OK, let's pay the fine, provided the BMC:

1. Does the same for all the trucks, buses, rickshaws, Tempos, etc parked on public roads
2. Builds car washes or designated areas where such activity can be carried out.

Currently almost every road in the city lies in ruins; either power cable work, gas pipeline work or the so called beautification work where they make the sidewalk and the road resemble the moons surface. And in all this they fine us for using one bucket of water to wash a car?

All I can do is applaud the lack of common sense here

Nice Catch!!! They just need something to fine. they cannot get it from the people who show bankruptcy so they get it from the people who has it...

I can also give a big nothing more!.

[normally_crazy]

I like this rule. Now how about the BMC implement it on the hoards of taxis and autos that get washed on the roads near the pipelines ??

I bet they won't dare fine those guys !