MCG’s plan to use private vacant plots for parking yet to take off

Gurugram: Even as the city is facing a parking crisis, the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) has failed to implement its two-year-old proposal to use vacant

Gurugram: Even as the city is facing a parking crisis, the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) has failed to implement its two-year-old proposal to use vacant residential plots as parking lots — that could not only provide space to accommodate about 8,000 vehicles but also help the civic body earn additional revenue.

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Notably, to deal with the parking problem, the MCG has started construction on two multilevel parking projects in Sadar Bazar and Kaman Sarai that can accommodate only 1,300 vehicles cumulatively. The two projects are estimated to cost more than ₹250 crore.

In March 2017, the Urban Local Bodies (ULB) had approved a policy, formulated by the MCG, enabling owners of vacant plots to turn their properties into parking lots.

The policy specified that owners of vacant plots measuring above 500 square metres could convert their residential properties and use them as commercial parking. They had to pay an annual licence fee of ₹100 per square metre to the MCG for doing so.

Subsequently, an aerial survey by the Haryana Space Applications Centre (HARSAC), at the behest of the MCG, had identified 150 vacant plots across the city that could be used for parking.

MCG officials had estimated that a minimum of 45-55 vehicles could be parked on a plot of 500 square metres, and thus, the 150 plots had enough space to accommodate at least 7,000-8,000 vehicles.

However, the MCG has not given licence to even a single person since then.

Sudhir Singh Chauhan, former senior town planner (STP) of MCG who had formulated the policy, said that the lack of takers can be attributed to poor advertising on behalf of the MCG.

“The policy will not only benefit the MCG but also the landowners who have an opportunity to use their residential plots for commercial use. The policy had been formulated as a solution to parking woes in Gurugram. But due to poor advertising and awareness programmes on behalf of the MCG, nobody is aware of its existence,” said Chauhan, who is currently the STP with the department of town and country planning (DTCP). Chauhan was transferred to the DTCP a year after the policy received approval from ULB.

Chauhan further said that a landowner had to pay a minimum of ₹50,000 as licence fee to the MCG annually for a 500 square yard plot, and the rate would get higher depending on the size of his or her plot.

“Although the MCG decides the rates at which a landowner can charge parking fees, the landowner would be able to recover his or her annual licence fee costs within two-three months, and make profits from the remaining collections,” said Chauhan.

MCG officials said that till date they have received one application from a resident for converting his vacant plot into a parking lot. However, it is yet to be sanctioned.

“We had received an application from a resident for converting his residential plot for parking purposes in February this year. Due to some technical issues, we had sent his application to the ULB for approval. The ULB has given its approval early this month, and we will be issuing the licence to the landowner soon,” said an MCG official privy to the matter.

The parking policy has four main clauses — the size of the land should be in excess of 500 square metres, have no trees on it, used strictly for surface parking while the approach road to the parking facility needed to be more than 15 metres wide.

The official said that the application had been pending on one of these clauses.

SP Singh, senior fellow and coordinator, Indian Foundation of Transport Research and Training (IFTRT), said that intervention of the state government or ULB was vital for the policy’s success.

“Parking is a major problem in Gurugram. A policy which has the potential to provide relief and give space for 8,000 vehicles is lying untapped is a prime example of civic apathy and oversight. The ULB or the Haryana government needs to intervene and ask MCG why they have failed to utilise it, and hold officials accountable for it,” said Singh.

Gurugram has only one multilevel parking near HUDA City Centre, and 44 authorised parking lots across the city.

Due to lack of parking space, especially in markets and near hospitals, most residents park their vehicles at vacant plots, main roads, or on pavements.

When asked for a comment on the issue, Amit Khatri, MCG commissioner, said, “It is a great policy and needs immediate intervention. I will take up the issue with the town planning wing of the MCG and ask them for an explanation on the issue. I will direct them to undertake measures for regularising this policy and converting vacant plots into parking lots on a large scale.”

On September 13, the foundation stone for constructing multilevel parking lots at Kaman Sarai and Sadar Bazar was laid. The two facilities are expected to be complete by early 2022.