Visiting posh South Delhi markets in private cars may become an expensive affair from July. The South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) is all set to introduce “premium parking” charges in areas like lajpat Nagar, M-Block Markets in GK-I and II, South Extension, New Friends Colony, and Rajouri Garden among others.
As per the proposed rates, car users will have to shell out minimum Rs 50 for parking their vehicles for up to one hour, while they will be charged Rs 100 for up to three hours. Beyond three hours, the four-wheelers will have to pay Rs 50 per hour. Similarly, the two-wheelers will be charged Rs 30 for the first hour of parking and Rs 75 for the next two hours. On exceeding the limit, bikers will be charged Rs 30 every hour.
Once approved, the car users will have to shell out Rs 450 for ten hours which is currently Rs 10 for the same period during peak hours; ie from 8 am to 8 pm. Similarly, the monthly parking charges for four-wheelers would go up to Rs 3,000 from the existing Rs 350. For the two-wheelers, the charges for ten hours will amount to Rs 285 which is a meager Rs 7 at present. The monthly charges would also increase to Rs 1,500 from the existing Rs 200. The civic body has identified nine parking lots as premium parking.
The SDMC currently runs 80 parking lots in South and West Delhi areas. The amendment in the existing parking policy, likely to be taken by the Standing Committee next week, has been proposed as per recommendations of the Special Task Force constituted by the Delhi High Court to decongest Delhi’s roads and encourage the use of public transport. It proposes to categorise the existing parking lots in South Delhi Corporation areas into A, B and C categories. While Category A will be premium parking; categories B and C will be surface and multi-level/underground parking lots respectively. “Charges in the premium parking will be higher than the normal surface parking lots. Category B parking will be surface parking lots located all across the city while Category C will be multi-level/ underground and other off-road parking lots that need to be incetivized and promoted,” said the amendment.
Officials said the introduction of premium parking aims at reducing the pressure of demand for parking in these areas and also removing the spillage and illegal parking which often occurs in collusion with the parking contractors. Though the civic body has proposed a hike for all categories of parking lots, the minimum hike will be effected for underground or multi-level parking (category C) so as to promote their use to the maximum. In category C parking lots, Rs 10 will be charged for parking four-wheelers for the first hour; Rs 20 for three hours and Rs 10 for every subsequent hour. Similarly, for B category parking lots (surface parking), the car users will have to pay Rs 30 for one hour; Rs 75 for up to three hours and Rs 50 per hour beyond three hours.