BMC launched an app-based valet parking service in Dadar market in Mumbai

People visiting Mumbai's most famous Dadar Market no longer have to face intense traffic locks and parking issues, thanks to the newly inaugurated digitised valet parking provision.

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, Mumbai Police and a traders' body at Dadar last week introduced the ease of e-valet parking at the Kohinoor Public Parking Lot. Motorists and vehicle owners coming to the market or the Shiviji Park can now simply hand over their cars to valet officials at the market and indulge in their shopping escapes, without any parking hassles.

The digital valet parking at the Dadar Market can be availed by all, via the mobile app Park plus (Park+). Visitors at the market have to install the app, and leave their cars at the Plaza Cinema. The valet operator will click photos of the vehicle and drive it to the 1,100-vehicle Kohinoor parking space. The motorist will have to share their phone numbers with the valet team to receive the parking confirmation text and the pick-up link.

The valet driver will keep the vehicle in the Kohinoor parking lot till the driver clicks on the link and requests pick-up. The car will be handed over to the motorist at the Plaza Cinema only, in exchange of a nominal fare.

The digital valet parking will be offered at ₹100 for the first four hours. An additional ₹25 per hour will be added post the compeletion of 4-hour limit. People will also have the liberty to pay for the valet service in advance via the Park plus app or later. As per reports, the service will be provided from 11 AM to 10 PM, every day in the above mentioned location.

The parking space is pegged to effectively solve traffic problems in the area. Dadar is hyper crowded zone and hosts offices, shops, markets, restaurants, shopping centres and even marriage halls. The vehicle load in the area is very high, owing to which, BMC has appealed to switch to this systematic, futuristic and economic parking plan to avert intense road congestion.

Going by reports, the idea of this new traffic provision was byoued by an experiment conducted during the festive Dussehra-Diwali period, last year. The BMC and the Dadar Vyapari Sangh (Traders' body) jointly opened a free valet3-hour parking provision for the shoppers at the Kohinoor lot.

This significantly reduced traffic snarls in Dadar, to the benefit of shoppers and shopkeepers. It was then that the traders' body stated that they were on par with this idea, even if parking charges were implemented.

Given the popularity of this service, the BMC is now planning to further expand this service across parking lots. About 4 new such digital valet provisions will be set up in Dadar itself, added reports. A constructive proposal, for all 29 parking lots in Mumbai will be prepared for the same.