Parking lots in commercial hubs of Lutyens’ Delhi, including Connaught Place and Janpath, will soon become automated and charge users more for longer stays, with the New Delhi Municipal Council rolling out its Smart Parking project.
As part of its Smart City proposal, the NDMC will implement the project, which will cover 87 of 124 parking lots of the civic body in the first phase. Existing parking facilities will be renovated to include parking sensors, LED signs to indicate empty slots, automatic pay stations, CCTV cameras connected to a central command centre and a mobile app for users, according to the request for proposal floated by the NDMC in March.
After completing the tendering process, the NDMC has identified a company to carry out the project and work is likely to begin soon. Eighty-seven parking lots, including ones in and around CP, would be taken up in the first phase.
A senior NDMC official said parking rates for these new lots would no longer have a cap of ₹100. Currently, users are charged ₹20 per hour up to five hours, after which a flat charge of ₹100 is levied. At smart parking lots, users will be charged ₹20 per hour even after five hours. This will not apply to monthly pass-holders. The 87 parking lots will be taken up in three sets within six months. The NDMC will earn ₹75 lakh, or 61% of the revenue each month from the contractor.
