Vibha Sharma
New Delhi: New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) doubled the rates at all parking lots it runs on Nov 1 to discourage the use of private vehicles as an anti-pollution check, but in Municipal Corporation of Delhi ( MCD ) areas, the parking rates remain the same. Since the proposal has not received any nod from the house or deliberative wing, MCD’s 400 surface parking lots continue to charge the same rates even when GRAP II restrictions have been imposed in Delhi.
On being questioned, an official said that the preamble is pending approval from the house. “The last proposal to double the parking rates was also referred back by the house, which is why we are preparing a fresh one,” the official added. This is not the civic body’s first attempt to raise parking rates. the fear of a voter backlash is real While public inconvenience is cited as the reason. There is also the apprehension that higher parking fees will push drivers towards unregulated or illegal street parking. If approved this time, the revised rates will take effect immediately and remain till the air quality improves.
Multiple earlier proposals seeking a four-fold increase were rejected by the house. Councillors and the house have historically pushed back against hikes.
Under CAQM’s directions, in NDMC areas four-wheeler parking fees at off-street lots, such as those in Connaught Place, have increased from Rs 20 to Rs 40 per hour. Two-wheeler fees have risen from Rs 10 to Rs 20 per hour, while bus parking charges have been raised from Rs 150 to Rs 200 per hour. For indoor or underground parking, the revised charges are Rs 10 per hour for two-wheelers (up from Rs 5) and Rs 20 per hour for four-wheelers (up from Rs 10).
We also expect that the house will support the move as it directly aligns with GRAP norms and Delhi’s broader pollution-control strategy,” the official said. “Though implementation may face hiccups since parking lots are operated by multiple contractors under existing agreements and any change will require revising their terms and conditions, we had done calculations in the past showing that doubling the fee will not impact overall revenue collection.
Rates at places such as Bengali Market and Pandara Road Market have increased from Rs 50 per hour to Rs 100, an NDMC official said. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Delhi | Silver Rate in Delhi | Bank Holidays in Delhi | Public Holidays in Delhi | Delhi AQI | Weather in Delhi | Petrol Price in Delhi | Diesel Price in Delhi | CNG Price in Delhi | LPG Price in Delhi Stay updated with the latest Delhi news.
Officials said the on-street parking charges have also doubled. Download the TOI App.