The Hindu : New Delhi News : NDMC may be forced to cut down parking tariff hike

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Aug 08, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

NDMC may be forced to cut down parking tariff hike

By Sandeep Joshi

NEW DELHI, AUG. 7. With pressure continuing to mount on the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) from all quarters, the civic body might be forced to cut down its proposed increase in parking tariffs across the city. With protests and dharnas being organised against the proposal, the NDMC is understood to have decided to do away with the Rs.100 slab for category A parking lots while some fee reductions and relaxation in parking time schedules in all other categories are also not ruled out.

Already top functionaries of the civic body have met at least a couple of times within a week to discuss this "contentious issue" as even some Council Members and senior officials have found the proposal "impractical".

Ironically, NDMC members who include MLAs from Lutyens' Delhi, are now airing their resentment in public over the proposed steep hike in parking charges, which is as high as 900 per cent in some cases, but they failed to scuttle the move when the proposal was being tabled at the Council's monthly meeting.

Now, the next monthly meeting is scheduled for August-end when the issue will certainly generate some heat.

"Though some decision on reduction of proposed parking charges has been taken by the Council, but a final parking tariff plan is likely to be announced only after the Council's monthly meeting. The likely amendment in the proposed tariff structure is scrapping of Rs.100 parking fee for cars in parking lots falling in category A that primarily covers the Connaught Place area. Similarly, a marginal decrease in proposed rates and restructuring of parking hours might be done," sources in the Council said.

Under the current proposed tariff structure, to be implemented from September 1, all the 100-odd parking lots will be categorised into A, B and C groups according to the demand for parking space. While 35 parking lots in and around Connaught Place, Dilli Haat, Yashwant Place, Chanakya Cinema and INA Market have been placed in the top category; those around government, private offices and other markets are in a lower category of B and C.

For Category A parking lots, the current charges for cars are Rs.10. However, the hiked charges will be Rs.10 for first two hours followed by Rs.10 for every subsequent hour for the next three hours. However, after five hours, a car owner will have to pay a whopping Rs.100. For two-wheelers, the rates will be Rs.5 and Rs.50 with the similar time schedule as for cars. For Category B and C parking lots the new rates for cars will be revised from a uniform rate of Rs.10 to Rs.10 for the first four hours, Rs.30 for 4 to 8 hours and Rs.50 for beyond 8 hours. Similarly, for two-wheelers the new rates will be Rs.5, Rs.10 and Rs.25 as against the present uniform rate of Rs.5.

Most vocal in their protest against the proposed parking rates have been traders and office-goers. While the former feel that the new rates will keep shoppers away from their markets, the latter say it will put extra financial burden on them. However, the Council feels this move will not only decongest market places, particularly Connaught Place, but will also force them to make judicious use of their vehicles.

Surprisingly, one of the main supporters of the NDMC Chairperson, Sindhushree Khullar, behind this move has been the Delhi Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit, a Council Member, and an MLA from Gole Market, who feels that there is a great need to decongest Lutyens' Delhi from vehicles to regain its lost glory. And with the Metro Rail all set to connect the New Delhi area from other parts of the Capital in near future, the Chief Minister believes it is high time people should look forward to using world class public transport system by shunning their vehicles which not only pollutes the environment but also congest roads and market places.

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