Delhiites, Get Ready to Pay Levies for Parking

Paving the way for levying charges on the parking of vehicles, both commercial and residential, Delhi lieutenant governor Anil Baijal approved the draft notification for national capital’s parking policy on Monday. The proposed rule should be applied to all parking spaces and public places like cinema halls, hospitals, malls etc within the national capital.

The notification ‘Delhi Maintenance and Management of Parking Rules 2017’ will be open for suggestions from the public for one month. After that, transport department of Delhi government will make adequate changes in the draft and the rules will come to force by March.

The policy draft which was framed under different legal provisions including the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1957, Delhi Motor Vehicles Rules, 1993 and Rules of the Road Regulations, 1989, penalizes parking at non-designated areas. The policy draft also sought to make illegal parking as a criminal offence.

Earlier in 2012, the Environmental Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) had come out with a Draft parking policy. The transport department made use of the efforts of the Environmental Pollution EPCA as a straight point seeking the inputs from MCDs, NDMC, DDA and Delhi Traffic Police.

As per rule, “all illegally parked vehicles will be towed and plenty of new legal parking lots will be made available soon,” an official quoted as saying.

Parking Policy in Residential Streets and Lanes

Considering the limited parking availability in Delhi, parking spaces in residential streets were prioritized for residents and their visitors on the condition that only night parking may be allowed that too against the parking charges to be decided by local bodies. However, a household would not be allowed to park more than two/three cars. If it exceeds the prescribed limit higher parking charges would be levied as per the policy, whereas charges for daytime parking on residential public streets would be higher.

The final say on the norms for permission of parking on residential streets relies on the local bodies. Moreover, local bodies can consider the use of open space nearby residential areas and use of shuttle services.

Commercial Streets

So far, 980 streets were notified as commercial streets by MCDs. Parking norms for these streets were reconsidered in the new policy draft. “On-street parking should be allowed only on designated roads against parking charges wherever there is adequate road width on the recommendation of a panel comprising of Traffic Police and other experts”, says the draft.

Promoting multi-level car parking, the rule encourages short-term parking. The on-street parking may be priced at three times that of off-street and heavy penalties would be levied beyond 3 hours.

Condition of Parking space for Commercial permits

Comprising of about 1.5 lakh Goods Vehicles, one lakh auto-rickshaws, more than 80,000 Taxis, about one lakh E-rickshaws and a number of other vehicles, nearly six lakh commercial vehicles are registered in this metropolitan city. “Considering the fact that their registration was allowed without ensuring availability of commensurate space for parking, the parking arrangement for existing vehicles have to be catered for,” the draft mentioned about the existing vehicles.

“Overnight parking of buses, trucks, tourist buses, vans, water tankers, containers, lorries etc. may be allowed only along notified roads during night hours only upon certain payment to local bodies/ PWD to discourage haphazard parking,” the draft policy added.

To review the proper implementation and compliance of these rules, a monitoring committee headed by Delhi chief secretary would be constituted. The rule also gives the responsibility of preparing area wise parking plans to the Deputy Commissioners of zones of civic bodies, New Delhi Municipal Council Chairman, DDA, and CEO of the Cantonment.