“The focus needs to be on reducing demand and not providing an unlimited supply of parking spaces which is being done globally through variable pricing linked to actual usage,” Anumita Roychowdhury of the Centre for Science and Environment told The Hindu on Sunday.
The CSE executive director of research and advocacy was speaking about the South Delhi Municipal Corporation’s September 14 green signal to the hike in one-time parking charges levied on vehicles. The civic body plans to use this hike for construction of modern parking systems. However, it remains unclear whether the move will help resolve Delhi’s parking woes. The hike, once approved by the other corporations and notified by the Delhi government, will make cars more expensive.
Four wheelers that were sold for up to ₹4 lakh will be charged ₹6,000 against ₹2,000 charged earlier. Vehicles that cost above ₹4 lakh, which were earlier charged ₹4,000, will now be charged more under different slabs.
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The highest slab is for vehicles that are priced over ₹40 lakh — they will now be charged ₹75,000.
“If the idea is to reduce the number of vehicles on road, an environmental pollution charge can be levied. The one-time parking charge gives people the idea that once they have paid the charge they can park wherever they like,” said Ms. Roychowdhury. “Parking structures in isolation are not enough. In our surveys, we have even seen multilevel parking lots which have more supply than demand. Better management of parking systems is required,” she added.
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