Parking Charges To Be Doubled In Delhi? Check Details Inside

New Delhi: The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) is planning to double its parking charges in a bid to discourage the use of private vehicles and curb air pollution caused by vehicular emissions, officials said on Monday.

A proposal to increase parking charges under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP)-II will be presented at the upcoming MCD House meeting on November 14, coinciding with the elections for Delhi's next mayor and deputy mayor, officials were quoted as saying by news agency PTI. 

Proposal Drafted by MCD to Increase Parking Charges 

The proposal to increase parking fees has been under discussion for a while, but it has been consistently referred back for further review. Initially, the MCD had recommended a fourfold increase, but after additional discussions, a revised proposal has been drafted to raise the fees by just twice the current amount, according to a report in PTI. 

"In the upcoming House meeting, we will seek approval for increasing the parking charges. After extensive deliberations, the MCD has revised its proposal to double parking charges instead of the initially planned fourfold increase. Once this proposal is passed, it will be implemented as soon as possible," the official said.

NDMC Already Hiked Parking Charges 

While other agencies, including the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), have already implemented the fee increase under CAQM’s directions, the MCD has yet to enforce the hike.

In October, the NDMC doubled its parking fees in accordance with directives aimed at reducing air pollution.

The MCD is awaiting approval of the proposal from the House before it can be implemented. However, if disruptions occur during the House session, as often happens during elections, the proposal could face further delays.

As part of Stage II of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) to combat pollution, additional measures are introduced, including bans on coal and firewood use in restaurants and restrictions on diesel generators, except for essential services.

The increase in parking charges is intended to encourage people to switch to public transport, helping to lower overall pollution levels.