Chandigarh’s new draft parking policy seeking 50% road tax invites criticism from all

‘Impractical’: Residents and politicians dismiss proposal that seeks 50% road tax on high-end cars, say will do nothing to overcome traffic congestion

When it comes to out of the box ideas for decongesting city roads, the UT administration’s track record is not too encouraging. This time, it has come up with a new draft parking policy that will hike the road tax for buyers of high-end cars. But will this policy will see the light of day?

Chandigarh has the highest density of vehicles in the country, the average number for each family being more than two. Objections to the policy have been invited within 15 days. (HT File Photo)

According to the new policy, residents who buy cars costing Rs 10 lakh and above will have to pay 50% of its price as road tax. That’s not all. If you buy a second car, irrespective of the price, you will have to pay 50% of its price. The existing policy charges 6% as road tax for vehicles costing up to Rs 20 lakh and 8% for vehicles above Rs 20 lakh.

Once again, the draft has been prepared in the absence of an efficient public transport system, leading to traffic congestion and parking problems. The city has the highest density of vehicles in the country, the average number for each family being more than two. However, not a single project that the administration planned to battle the problem has materialised in the last decade.

Key projects that were introduced and scrapped include the construction of eight underpasses, metro rail, congestion and entry tax. Now, once again, the new draft parking policy has invited sharp criticism from residents and politicians.

The new draft policy also seeks to clamp down on the number of vehicles sold in one quarter. Moving on, residents will have to purchase certificate of ownership/entitlement and certificate of parking availability during vehcile registration will be a necessity. The administration has also planned to hike the rates of public parking.