BMC Takes Action: Contractors To Clear 3,000 Abandoned Vehicles From Mumbai Roads

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to outsource the removal of abandoned vehicles from Mumbai's streets to contractors, aiming to improve the efficiency of the process, as per the Hindustan Times (HT) report. This initiative is part of a plan to clear over 3,000 abandoned vehicles from the city's roads in the next three years.

The BMC has invited tenders for the appointment of contractors for the island city, eastern suburbs, and western suburbs. The traffic department will oversee the operations to ensure that the vehicles are quickly identified and cleared.

"We estimate that there are more than 3,000 abandoned vehicles across Mumbai," said a BMC traffic department official in the report. "The tender is aimed at scrapping these vehicles that have been left unclaimed on municipal roads," he added.

Previously, various authorities, including the traffic police, Regional Transport Offices (RTOs), and BMC ward offices, were responsible for dealing with abandoned vehicles. However, this system often led to delays due to coordination issues and staff shortages.

Under the old process, BMC wards would identify abandoned vehicles and issue notices giving owners 48 hours to claim them. If no claim was made within 10 days, the RTO would issue a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for deregistration, and the vehicle would be auctioned.

Under the new plan, contractors will handle the entire process. They will identify abandoned vehicles, take photos, and record their GPS coordinates. The BMC will then send a formal notice to the vehicle's owner. Contractors will also store the vehicles at designated plots and work with relevant authorities to ensure proper clearance.

Mahendra Agarwal, the chief engineer (traffic), explained in HT that contractors would be responsible for every step, from identifying and scrapping the vehicle to obtaining the NOC as required by the encroachment removal department.

Contractors will be allowed to retain the scrap value of the vehicles, but the revenue will be deposited with the BMC to contribute to municipal funds. This system ensures that vehicles are disposed of properly, preventing them from being abandoned in scrapyards.

The BMC has already ensured that only experienced contractors will be chosen to comply with environmental and legal standards. However, the original deadline for tender submissions passed on Monday without any response. As a result, the BMC has extended the deadline by two weeks to give contractors more time to apply.