NDMC extends doubling of parking fees to privately managed sites

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi, which manages over 96% of Delhi’s geographical area, has not enforced the parking fee increase

The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has extended the doubling of the parking fees to the privately managed sites days after the civic body announced the move citing the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM)’s directions in November for mitigating the pollution sources.

The council earlier doubled the fees at the parking sites it directly manages. (REUTERS)

On November 13, the council said it was doubling the fees at the parking sites it directly manages in the New Delhi region until January 31.

The four-wheelers were charged ₹20 hourly with a maximum of ₹100 daily and two-wheelers ₹10 per hour. In the case of multilevel parking sites, the charges were ₹10 for up to four hours for cars and ₹5 for two-wheelers. The rates were doubled from November 28.

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi, which manages over 96% of Delhi’s geographical area, has not enforced the parking fee increase. The parking rates were increased four times in November 2017 as part of efforts to check pollution.

Centre for Science and Environment executive director (research and advocacy) Anumita Roychowdhury said only increasing parking rates in selected commercial areas will not be effective. “Parking needs to happen only in legally demarcated parking areas of a ward with stringent penalties on illegal parking. Only this can reduce demand for parking, usage of personal vehicles and reduce emissions.”