The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) will present a revised proposal to double parking fees in line with the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in an effort to reduce air pollution and discourage the use of personal vehicles during periods of severe air quality.

The proposal, which will be tabled in the House meeting on Thursday, seeks to enforce stricter measures during pollution spikes under Stage II of GRAP. Currently, the hourly parking rate stands at Rs 20 for four-wheelers and Rs 10 for two-wheelers. If approved, these fees would be doubled on days when air pollution levels become critical.

"A revised proposal regarding enhancement of parking fees by two times to carry out the direction under Stage II of GRAP will be tabled in the House meeting on Thursday," informed an MCD official on Tuesday.

This move follows an earlier proposal that suggested a fourfold increase in parking fees, which was referred back by the MCD House. The MCD has made several unsuccessful attempts over the past year to grant the commissioner authority to adjust parking fees without needing direct approval from the council.

"In the last 10 months, even before GRAP norms were enforced, we proposed that the commissioner be given the power to raise parking fees by up to four times as soon as GRAP Stage II came into effect," the official said.

Additionally, the MCD had put forward a separate proposal to rationalize parking fees based on the location and footfall in specific areas. However, both the proposal to hike fees and the rationalization plan were put on hold, as they require approval from elected councillors. "We cannot proceed with any parking fee increases without the green light from the elected House members," the official added.

In contrast, the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has already successfully implemented a parking fee hike. On October 22, NDMC issued an order to double parking fees at its off-road and indoor facilities whenever GRAP II is enforced. The increased fees remain in effect until air quality improves and GRAP restrictions are lifted.

“It is stated that CAQM has not fixed the quantum of enhancement that can be made in the existing parking fee.

However, a precedent dated 8-11-2017 of the Delhi Pollution Control Committee can be followed,” the agenda for the MCD meeting stated.

In August, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) noted that apart from the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), no significant revision of parking charges had been carried out across Delhi when GRAP was imposed.

 “The NDMC has already implemented a two-fold increase in parking fees under GRAP II. On similar lines, we are proposing to double parking charges at all parking sites under MCD jurisdiction whenever Stage II of GRAP is invoked,” the proposal stated.