NDMC study to look at parking demand amid claims of graft

An NDMC official said the consultant will prepare feasibility reports by carrying out on-site surveys

The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) on Sunday said it will undertake a study of the parking demand in areas governed by the civic body, according to officials aware of the matter. The move comes after allegations of corruption which surfaced last year regarding tenders of many parking sites not getting contractors.

New Delhi, India- July 21, 2017: A view of NMCD authorized Automatic Multi Level Car parking at Behind Sheila Cinema Paharganj in New Delhi, India on Friday, July 21, 2017. ( Photo by Sonu Mehta/ Hindustan Times) ( Photo for Vibha Sharma Story) (Sonu Mehta/HT PHOTO)

The council has initiated the process of hiring an advisor for the assessment and monetisation of the parking sites managed by the private concessionaire as well as the civic body’s own parking staff. The council will also earmark new potential parking sites through this process, NDMC officials said.

According to the request for proposal floated by the civic body, a financial and transaction advisor will be hired for a third-party assessment which will identify and consolidate parking facilities at existing as well as proposed sites for development by NDMC.

“The company will undertake technical and financial feasibility assessment of each site and assist NDMC in preparing bid documents for development projects and appointment of concessionaires,” an NDMC official said, asking not to be named. The process is likely to be completed by January end.

The council has listed the 99 parking sites with a capacity to accommodate 5,415 four-wheelers and 2,517 two-wheelers including sites like Connaught Place, Janpath, KG Marg and Barakhamba Road. The bid documents said the Phase 2 project will also include another 51 sites such as Bangla Sahib Road, Dilli Haat, Ashok hotel and RK Ashram Marg with a cumulative capacity to hold 3,815 four-wheelers and 1,525 two-wheelers.

A second NDMC official said the consultant will prepare feasibility reports by carrying out on-site surveys.

“They will undertake site visits, assess the current parking inventory, mark locations of unauthorised parking and violation of vehicles and assess current parking demand. The surveys will also mark the peak demands, and judge the willingness of commuters to pay. The exercise will review development controls byelaws and land use zoning regulations to suggest measures as may be required towards development of parking facilities,” the second official added.

NDMC’s parking sector has been under the spotlight due to multiple tenders being floated for 39 parking sites but the council is unable to find any takers. Last year, the agency directed the chief vigilance officer to probe the matter related to repeated failure in allotting multiple parking sites, including the ones at Sarojini Nagar Market. The direction was given based on complaints related to the misuse of parking sites and that some of them are being run illegally, council member Kuljeet Chahal alleged.

Civic body’s 99 parking sites are being operated by private players and the existing contract for the operation and management of these sites would also be completed in August 2024. The civic body gets the bulk of its revenue from parking sites around Connaught Place.

Chahal said that the probe committee has not met yet and a third-party assessment seems a precautionary step by the officers. “The report of the assessment will be kept before the committee probing the parking sector violations. It is too early to comment on it,” he said.