Delhi: Parking to get costlier; L-G Baijal reviews draft policy
Parking is going to be a pricey affair in Delhi as the government is set to notify new rules, hiking the fees. Under the new policy, roadside parking, even in residential colonies, would be allowed only in demarcated areas for a fee; parking outside homes would also become expensive. Lieutenant-Governor Anil Baijal has already reviewed the Delhi Maintenance and Management of Parking Rules, 2017.
The draft parking policy was prepared by Delhi's transport department. Delhi Government constituted a special committee to finalize the rules for implementing the policy. Lieutenant-Governor Anil Baijal then reviewed the rules. The committee was led by World Resources Institute CEO Om Prakash Agarwal, comprising officials of the transport department, Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System, and the Centre for Science and Environment's Anumita Roychowdhury.
The new rules, expected to strengthen the draft parking policy prepared by the transport department, would be notified soon by Delhi Government. Parking rates would be fixed by a "Base Parking Fee Committee" led by the transport commissioner. The rules also propose dynamic pricing mechanisms like peak and off-peak charges, exponential increase after every hour of use, etc. to moderate demand.
The rules propose increasing parking fee exponentially every hour to discourage on-street parking. On-street parking rates for the first-hour would be twice that of off-street parking, and thrice after the first-hour. In residential areas, parking rates for demarcated public roads would be fixed after consulting RWAs. Residents of buildings having stilt parking will be charged double if they park their vehicles on the street.
Civic agencies will identify roads/spaces for overnight parking of transport vehicles and electric vehicles, like e-rickshaws. Traffic police would tow away illegally parked vehicles on roads wider than 60-feet. For other roads/spaces, civic agencies would be responsible for towing and imposing penalties. Junk vehicles (petrol/CNG vehicles older than 15 years and diesel ones older than 10 years) parked on streets would be impounded.
The area parking plans (specific, integrated local-area parking plans), envisaged in Delhi Master Plan 2021, will be prepared and implemented by the civic agencies. The plans would be prepared by MCD Deputy Commissioners, New Delhi Municipal Council Chairman, Delhi Development Authority, Commissioner (Land), Delhi Cantonment Board CEO. Civic officers would also be given powers for issuing challans, imposing fines under 1988 Motor Vehicles Act.
