Tussle between Delhi’s AAP govt and L-G delays parking policy

Implementing Delhi’s parking policy, which has so far been delayed by about eight months, is going to take more time owing to the ongoing jurisdictional tussle between the Aam Aadmi Party government and the Lieutenant Governor.

Implementing Delhi’s parking policy, which has so far been delayed by about eight months, is going to take more time owing to the ongoing jurisdictional tussle between the Aam Aadmi Party government and the Lieutenant Governor (L-G).

Irked by rampant illegal and haphazard parking across the national capital, L-G Anil Baijal had in January and February 2017 held two meetings to curb the menace. (HT File Photo)

Despite the policy getting all necessary clearances, the transport department is unable to notify the Delhi Maintenance and Management of Parking Rules, 2017, because of a “confusion”.

“The minister has clearly stated that the file does not need to go to the L-G and should be notified immediately. But the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, states that the competent authority is the L-G. So, invariably, all files of transport always went to the L-G as well,” an official on condition of anonymity said.

Transport minister Kailash Gahlot, while signing the file, also struck off the part which mentioned, ‘By order and in the name of Lieutenant Governor of the National Capital Territory of Delhi’, written at the very end.

Explaining the rationale behind this, Gahlot said the subject does not fall under the jurisdiction of the L-G. “The matter is a transferred subject and so the file will not be sent to the L-G. We are simply following the Supreme Court’s July 4 order which states that the L-G has control over only three reserved subjects — land, police, and law and order. This (file) does not fall under any of the three subjects,” he said.

Introducing a set of uniform rules for parking in Delhi was initially a direction issued by L-G Anil Baijal early last year. After his directive, the transport department prepared two drafts of the policy and it was finally cleared by both the minister and the L-G in January this year.

Irked by rampant illegal and haphazard parking across the national capital, Baijal had in January and February 2017 held two meetings to curb the menace.

It was in the second meeting that the L-G came up with the plan of drafting a parking policy for the city. Since then, he had been holding monthly meetings to review the parking policy.

“For need-based parking solutions, commissioner (Transport) will evolve a doable comprehensive parking policy along with traffic police, DDA, MCDs and PWD,” the L-G had announced after the second meeting.

Once implemented, the policy, a first in Delhi, is going to make the existing practice of ‘free parking in residential areas as well public spaces’ a thing of the past.

The rules state that parking rates will also be linked to pollution levels. “The multiples shall be doubled in case of severe plus or emergency levels of ambient air quality as specified under the Graded Responses Action Plan notified by the Centre,” the document read.