DDA, MCD to add 281 parking lots, boost city capacity by 46% by November

Delhi to add 281 new surface parking lots by November, boosting capacity by 46% to address congestion and air pollution with 75,000 more spaces.

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) will operationalise 281 new surface parking lots in phases by November, adding space for around 75,000 equivalent car spaces (ECS) and increasing the city’s current parking capacity by 46%, senior officials said.

Delhi currently has 668 surface parking lots with a capacity of 160,463 ECS. (Representative image/REUTERS)

Delhi currently has 668 surface parking lots with a capacity of 160,463 ECS.

The additions, through vacant plots and land parcels, have been directed under the traffic decongestion and parking augmentation plan aimed at reducing air pollution levels. The plan is being monitored by the central government, and the Prime Minister’s Office had reviewed it earlier this month, officials said.

As part of the augmentation plan, DDA has already invited bids for 232 sites. “DDA invited application for participation in the e-auction of 232 vacant DDA plots identified for temporary use as surface parking sites on a licence fee basis,” the authority said in a public notice, adding that registration for the auction process began on Thursday.

According to the action plan, DDA has set a target of operationalising 50 parking lots by August, and 182 by November 2026. Of these, 98 plots are in Dwarka zone, 53 in North zone, 30 in Rohini zone, 28 in East zone and 23 in South zone.

The sites will be developed through e-auction and are expected to significantly improve parking availability in densely populated neighbourhoods and commercial hubs, officials said.

“The idea is to quickly utilise vacant land parcels that are lying unused. This will also help reduce encroachments and improve accessibility in several parts of the city,” a DDA official said.

MCD, on the other hand, has been told to add 49 surface parking sites by August, adding 3,000 ECS parking space. Under the long-term plan submitted by the corporation, 12 multilevel parking lots will be set up with space to accommodate 6,229 vehicles, but this is likely to take several years to execute, officials said.

Multiple civic and land-owning agencies operate surface and multilevel parking lots in the city. Currently, 668 surface parking lots contribute 160,463 ECS, while 43 covered units add space for 53,922 vehicles.

To be sure, Delhi already has a roadmap in place in the form of the Delhi Maintenance and Management of Parking Places Rules. Despite direct intervention by the Supreme Court, which led to the notification of Delhi’s parking policy in September 2019, key features of the plan are yet to be implemented.