In a blatant violation, parking attendants at the government-run Hamidia Hospital are charging double the stipulated fare printed on the slips they hand out after hurriedly scribbling the receipt numbers.

Though the slips mention Rs 10 as the charge for two-wheelers, attendants insist on collecting Rs 20, which ironically is twice the amount the college hospital charges outpatients for treatment.

Not surprisingly, the parking attendants refuse to accept digital payments and insist on cash transactions, often adding to the distress of both patients and caregivers who have to walk a considerable distance to arrange for the cash before they can retrieve their vehicles.

Adding to visitors’ woes, the irreverent parking staff refuse to listen to reason, simply shutting up people by saying, "Pareshani hai toh upar baat kar lijiye (If you have a problem, speak to the higher-ups)."

When contacted, the parking contractor maintained that the parking charges are collected as per the agreement with the hospital management. These charges are calculated on an hourly basis.

"We are working as per the instructions. For further details, please contact the higher authorities," he says, but refuses to divulge details of the hospital official responsible for the parking.

In the absence of a designated official to speak to the media, the hospital management remained unavailable for comment on the matter. Parking at Hamidia is charged hourly and can go up to Rs 200. Additionally, parking in non-designated areas results in fines of up to Rs 500.