Nashik: The Nashik Municipal Corporation’s proposed pay-and-park project is expected to be delayed by nearly a year, not just a few months, as extensive road work across the city continues ahead of the Simhastha Kumbh Mela to be held in 2027.The civic administration has identified 28 locations for the project, 22 on-street and six off-street parking sites, mainly in the busy central business district. Officials said bids had been invited to operate these spaces through private contractors, with four agencies having responded. The technical and financial bids are likely to be opened over the next 10-12 days, after which a suitable contractor will be selected.“However, the ongoing Kumbh-related road construction, slated for completion by March 2027, will prevent the civic body from launching the parking system until next year,” a civic official said.The project itself has faced multiple setbacks over the years. Initially, the Nashik Municipal Smart City Development Corporation Ltd was tasked with implementing it, but the plan stalled when the selected agency sought relaxations beyond what the corporation was willing to concede. The project was eventually transferred back to NMC early last year.Since then, the civic administration has prepared detailed plans, including tariff structures and penalties for no-parking violations. Yet tenders issued four times failed to attract qualified bidders. Following industry feedback, NMC slashed the royalty amount by 45% — from Rs 35 lakh to Rs 19.52 lakh per month. Even so, all five agencies that responded to the fourth round were found ineligible due to incomplete documentation.The civic body has now floated bids for the fifth time and hopes at least one agency will qualify so that a work order can be issued. But with major roads dug up for Kumbh preparations, the officials concede the pay-and-park rollout may be pushed back by at least a year.Under the proposed fee structure, two-wheelers will be charged Rs 10 for the first two hours and Rs 20 for two to six hours. For three- and four-wheelers, charges will be Rs 20 for the first two hours and Rs 40 for two to six hours. A 150-200m radius around each designated site will be declared a no-parking zone. Vehicles found parked illegally will be towed, with penalties set at Rs 600 for two- and three-wheelers, Rs 725 for cars and SUVs, and Rs 1,100 to Rs 2,000 for heavy passenger vehicles.
