NCR cars could be taxed in Delhi

If Delhiites keep buying cars at the present rate, their NCR cousins will have to pay the price of congestion.

If Delhiites keep buying cars at the present rate, their NCR cousins will have to pay the price of congestion.

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The government of Delhi is considering taxing vehicles registered outside Delhi, everytime they enter the capital.

Roughly 1,000 vehicles are sold in Delhi everyday. The total vehicular population in Delhi stands at more than 55 lakh.

The cess on entry of vehicles from other states is just one of the ideas under consideration.

Other solutions include a congestion tax on entering busy/market areas and also an additional tax on ownership of more than two vehicles.

Thousands of vehicles from NCR towns enter the city daily and stay inside for eight to ten hours. Many more pass through Delhi on their way beyond.

“Everybody knows about the increasing traffic problem. We have been thinking of various ways to reduce congestion and this (cess) can be one of the various options,” Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said.

Delhi has 37 entry points and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) already levies different taxes on commercial vehicles. If the proposal is accepted, the cost of living will go up for thousands of commuters from Noida, Ghaziabad and Gurgaon.

However, Dikshit clarified that there is no concrete proposal as yet. “We are contemplating various options.”