Contractor at BBH charging high parking fees

Rawalpindi: People visiting Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH) are being forced to pay big amount as ‘parking fee’ particularly at night time while authorities concerned have not taken up this issue seriously and looking at the whole drama with closed eyes. The parking mafia (private contractor) have been demanding Rs400 to Rs500 as parking fee from public for bringing serious patients to emergency ward at night time.

The normal parking fee here at BBH, Rawalpindi was Rs10 for motorcycle and Rs20 for motor car. But, private contractor along with their people were forcibly charging Rs400 to Rs500 from motor car as parking fee at night. The private contractors have claimed that they were charging parking fee according to per hour at night.

Benazir Bhutto Hospital In-Charge (Administration) Dr Anayat told ‘The News’ that they have started crackdown against parking mafia for taking high charges from public at night. “We have received several complaints against private contractors for charging huge amount as parking fee,” he said. He said that affected people should come to complaining against parking fee, we will take an immediate action against looters, he warned.

Some key post officers from Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH), Rawalpindi on condition of anonymity alleged that some admin officers were fully involved in looting public in the name of parking fee. Several motorists complained against parking mafia but in vain, the officers claimed.

Talking to ‘The News’, some motorists said no parking fee was being charged at entertainment and recreational points. But, parking fee has been imposed on hospitals where people come to seek treatment. They claimed that parking fee was a form of tax being collected even from the poor. Healthcare should be tax-free, they stressed.