The agency that has got the right to manage parking along the road leading to the passport office, off Ruby hospital, charged Rs 10 an hour for parking cars on Wednesday.
For several weeks, people who parked cars on the stretch were forced to pay between Rs 30 and Rs 100 an hour.
The parking rate approved by the Calcutta Municipal Corporation and the Calcutta Metropolitan Development Authority is Rs 10 an hour for cars and Rs 5 an hour for two-wheelers. The road leading to the passport office is maintained by the CMDA.
A few boards displaying the legal rates were pinned to the wall along which cars and two-wheelers were parked.
Metro saw parking attendants were handing out receipts only when those parking their cars or two-wheelers were demanding them.
This newspaper has been reporting since Sunday how attendants were fleecing those who were parking cars and two-wheelers along the road. The attendants had demanded Rs 100 an hour for cars last Wednesday and Friday. The demand was scaled down to Rs 30-40 an hour on Monday and Tuesday.
On Wednesday, this newspaper was asked to pay Rs 10 for parking the car for 10 minutes, which is the approved rate.
A woman said she was asked to pay Rs 20 for parking her car there for a little less than two hours. A man said he had to pay Rs 30 as the car remained parked for more than two hours but less than three. On both occasions the users were asked to pay according to the approved rate.
The boards displaying the rates did not have any phone number where one could complain if parking attendants demand more than the approved rates.
“We had a meeting with the agency (Prestige Fee Car Parking) managing parking on the road on Wednesday and clearly told them that they must display phone numbers of people whom one can call to lodge a complaint if an attendant charges more than the approved rate,” said a CMDA official.
“We have asked them to issue receipts after taking the fee. We will also urge people parking their cars and two-wheelers to demand receipts.”
A number of people are compelled to visit the place with their vehicles for their passport interviews. The entry to the passport office is through the road along which the cars are parked.
The CMDA on Tuesday extended the tenure of Prestige Fee Car Parking to manage parking on the road by six months. The agency’s tenure had ended last month.
Some of the parking attendants who were earlier found demanding more than the approved rates wore T-shirts with the name of the agency written on them.
A Ballygunge resident who was asked to pay Rs 100 for two hours last week said she was appalled that the CMDA extended the agency’s tenure without taking action against the culprits.