kolkata in an attempt to offer motorists relief from unnecessary harassment at citys parking lots ahead of durga puja mayor firhad hakim on saturday asked municipal commissioner binod kumar to ensure that those near markets have boards with parking rates installed by early next week apart from displaying the rate the boards should also have helpline numbers so that harassed motorists can lodge complaintsthe kmc car parking department will need to ensure that attendants are given identity cards and they display them to prevent extortion by local goons hakim has also urged the municipal commissioner to speak to the police on action against truant attendants for overcharging or misbehaving with motorists according to the mayor if any parking attecndant is caught without an identity card and overcharging motorists the cops should arrest him on the spot if a parking attendant is found without an id card the cops have every right to take him to the police station and interrogate him as the person may turn out to be an imposter trying to extort motorists in the guise of a parking attendant said hakim the mayor has warned a section of the agencies for not being watchful on the activities of a section of attendants who are in the habit of overcharging the motorists especially near major markets and commercial places where the demand for a parking space remains high during the festive season we know some times the agencies lease out such parking zones to smaller agencies so they dont have command over the truant parking attendants we need to identify these agencies and blacklist them to convey a message to others said hakim hakim initiated the crackdown after he interacted with a caller during the talk to mayor session on saturday afternoon who complained of harassment by a parking attendant who demanded extra money from himaccording to a kmc car parking department official the department receives complaints against overcharging throughout the year often we receive complaints from the citizens accusing a section of parking attendants of overcharging or misbehaving such complaints multiply near the citys market places ahead of the festive season we have been asked to get tough with such attendants and the agencies said a kmc officialaccording to a source in the kmc car parking department the cops were asked to keep a watch on the parking lots near new market gariahat market and hatibagan ahead of durga puja