L-G okays hike in parking charges, civic bodies unhappy

The Delhi Lieutenant Governor (LG) has approved a hike in parking charges from Rs.10 per hour to Rs.20 per hour for cars. The three municipal corporations are bound to implement the change. Hamari Jamatia reports.

Another price hike that will add to your monthly expenses is in the offing.

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The Delhi Lieutenant Governor (LG) has approved a hike in parking charges from Rs.10 per hour to Rs.20 per hour for cars. The three municipal corporations are bound to implement the change.

The South Delhi Municipal Corporation will discuss the matter during its standing committee meeting on Tuesday. Councillors said they would protest the hike.

“We have not been informed about the decision by the LG so far. If the officials have got any directive, they would bring it up before the standing committee meeting tomorrow. We will oppose the move. We will meet the LG tomorrow evening and take up the issue with him,” said standing committee chairman Rajesh Gehlot.

But the protests may not bring out the desired results because the municipal bodies fall under the L-G and have to implement orders passed by him.

Under the new guidelines, the parking rates for the first 30 minutes for a four-wheeler is Rs.10 followed by Rs.20 for an hour and Rs.50 for three hours.

The recommendations for the hike in parking rates were made by the Delhi government-appointed committee on parking, which has representatives from all civic agencies.

The objective of the hike is to reduce private car usage and encourage the use of public transport such as buses and Metro.

The recommendations were sent to the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) as well. But the municipal body deferred it, saying that it would study the structure of the parking charges once more before implementing them.

However, according to sources, the municipal bodies are wary of implementing the hikes for fear of backlash from the people during the upcoming assembly elections in Delhi.

Earlier, the south and east municipal corporations had rejected a hike in parking charges proposed by the commissioners of the respective municipal bodies. The leaders had said that people won’t be able to afford parking due to inflation.

Now that the L-G has recommended a hike, the municipal councillors have no choice but to implement it.

“We will speak to the L-G and ask him to show leniency. The people of Delhi are already paying huge electricity and water bills. Why make them pay more for parking?,” said leader of the House in North Corporation, Mahender Nagpal.