Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will start levying fines of up to Rs 15,000 for illegal parking from Sunday.

The fine, including towing charges, for parking within a 500-meter radius of 26 authorized Public Parking Lots will range from Rs 5,000 for two-wheelers to Rs 15,000 for heavy vehicles. With a penalty for late payment, it could go up to as much as Rs 23,250, a BMC official said Saturday.

The objective was to curb unauthorised parking outside designated parking lots, he said. To recover fine and for effective implementation of the scheme, the administration has hired ex-servicemen to assist traffic police, he said.

The BMC has 26 authorised parking places. If a vehicle is found to be parked outside these lots but within a 500-meter radius, it will be towed away and a fine will be levied, he said. “There are 20-odd BEST (civic bus service) depots where motorists can park their vehicles when buses are out on roads,” he said.

The decision to hike the fine was announced in June and drew criticism from some quarters. The BMC’s Improvement Committee had requested the administration to postpone the date of implementation. The proposal should be first discussed by the public representatives in the house, it had said.

However, the BMC refused to accede to the request. Transport activist Ashok Datar said hefty fines will definitely deter errant motorists.

“But since most vehicle owners may not be always carrying 5,000 to 10,000 rupees with them, there are chances that there may be heated arguments with enforcing agencies,” he said.