An end to Delhi’s parking mess may finally be in sight with officials in the municipal corporations coming up with innovative solutions, including high charges in congested areas and involving locals in decision making.
Though officers have proposed parking rate hikes in the past, politicians in the corporations have shot down the plans, fearing electoral backlash. But, now, the BJP-led municipal corporations are working on a uniform rate hike as the party’s State leadership has decided to deal with the issue seriously.
Delhi BJP president Satish Upadhyay has asked all three corporations to formulate a policy regarding parking rates. The South Delhi Municipal Corporation’s Standing Committee, while Mr. Upadhyay was heading it, last week increased parking rates.
At a meeting with the Urban Development Secretary on Monday, the three Commissioners of the civic bodies and representatives of the Public Works Department, the Delhi Police and the Delhi Development Authority brainstormed on out-of-the-box solutions.
South Delhi Municipal Corporation Commissioner Manish Gupta said on Tuesday that the civic body should not subsidise parking for the rich, but should work towards making pedestrian movement easier. He added that the SDMC agreed with the recommendations of the Bhure Lal Committee, which says that surface parking should be priced high to dissuade users. He said he reiterated the committee’s findings at the meeting with the UD Secretary.
“Surface parking in congested areas that have good Metro connectivity like Lajpat Nagar market should be exorbitant so people choose to use public market,” said Mr. Gupta.
A senior North Delhi Municipal Corporation official said that simply imposing hefty charges and declaring ‘no-parking zones’ would not work.
“We have to see parking not as a right and a facility for all, but a service at a premium so we can disincentivise people from crowding the roads. The rates should be prohibitively high in congested markets like Karol Bagh so people take the metro,” said the official.
While officers have agreed that the rates need to go up from the current Rs.10, the exact policy is still under formulation. The North Corporation has 96 parking sites, out of which 32 are currently running as free sites as there were disputes with the contractors and the tenders were cancelled. The process of re-tendering these sites is on, said Deputy Commissioner Dharmender Kumar.
According to officers, increasing the rates will not only dissuade users, but will also hit the parking mafia that continues to overcharge customers.
