Mumbai: Following a TOI report on Tuesday, June 3, highlighting how motorists were being illegally charged at designated free parking spots in south Mumbai, the assistant municipal commissioner of A ward wrote to the MRA Marg police station, requesting an FIR against unidentified persons for violating BMC rules.The letter—which refers to the TOI news report ‘Declared free for use, SoBo parking lots still charging motorists’—stated: “We request that action be taken in this matter, and legal action be initiated against the contractor by filing a police complaint. The matter involves violation of BMC rules, misuse of public space, and collection of money despite the official directive to not charge motorists. Hence, it is requested that based on the report published on June 3, an investigation be initiated and a First Information Report (FIR) be filed in the matter.“A TOI team on June 2 had visited parking spots in south Mumbai, which were made free temporarily for parking, and found that motorists were being charged at these spots.BMC officials said while these were temporary free parking spots, they were in the process of appointing a new agency either for a short-term three-month period or a fresh two-year contract through the office of the deputy chief engineer (traffic). “These sites are temporarily free until then,” said an official. It may be recollected that in April, a sting operation done by BMC officers exposed pay-and-park contractors overcharging motorists in several BMC-operated parking lots of south Mumbai. Following this, the BMC’s A Ward proposed making all pay-and-park facilities in the area free until a new contractor is appointed.