AHMEDABAD: After the city administration launched a major traffic drive upon its directions, Gujarat high court on Wednesday directed the state government to frame a parking policy at the earliest for commercial as well as public spaces.Till the government frames such policy, the HC has permitted malls and multiplex owners to collect parking fees from visitors, but they will have to provide free parking for the first hour.The court made it clear that after a vehicle's entry, the commercial buildings can charge "reasonable parking fees commensurable to the services provided by them. However, such fees shall not be more than Rs 30 for four-wheelers and Rs 10 for two-wheelers per day".Justice Bela Trivedi has directed the state government to take a decision "at the earliest" on the parking policy to rationalize and regulate the parking fees being collected at the commercial complexes/malls/ multiplexes. The court has directed framing of parking policy for public premises, roads and streets too.The high court has ordered the government to make required amendments in the General Development Control Regulations (GDCR), if it feels it necessary to form an appropriate parking policy.The high court clarified that the authorities are free to take action for the removal of encroachment of all kinds and illegal parking of vehicles.The HC passed the order in response to petitions filed by owners of malls and multiplexes in Ahmedabad, Vadodara and Surat. They were summoned by police commissioners for collecting parking fees from visitors. They were asked not to collect such fees. The HC quashed the summons and notices issued. Since the state government was insisting that there should not be any parking charges in parking zones of malls and multiplexes, it should quickly frame a policy to this effect the HC said.

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