Days after hike in “one time parking fee charges” in the national Capital, Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot on Monday withdrew the order of a 18-fold hike in one-time parking charges for cars and annual fees for commercial vehicles from January 1. The order issued by the Transport Minister cited that the December 21 order “appears to be irregular for many reasons”.
Gahlot tweeted, “Transport department has been directed to withdraw the order dated 21.12.2018 regarding increase in parking charges in South/East/North Delhi Municipal Corporations. Owners of commercial/non commercial vehicles need not deposit the enhanced parking fees till the matter has been examined afresh.”
He said in the previous order the revised charges were not notified by the Union Urban Affairs Ministry that has administrative control over the municipal corporations. Also, no opinion was sought from the Law Department of the Delhi Government.
“Union Urban Affairs Ministry, being the administrative department for MCDs, ought to have notified the revised charges in the first instance. For instance Transport Department is only a collection agent on behalf of the corporations. Secondly there is no reference to the parking lots under the control the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and the Delhi Cantonment Board,” said Gahlot in the order.
The December 21 order was issued on behalf of then Transport Commissioner Varsha Joshi on her last working day at the department. She is currently holding the charge of the North Delhi Municipal Corporation Commissioner.
The order had raised the one-time parking charges of cars from existing Rs 4,000 to up to Rs 75,000 based on price of the vehicles. The annual parking charges of commercial vehicles like buses were also raised from existing Rs 6,000 to Rs 75,000.
The order further said, “The opinion of the Law department ought to have been taken before issuing this order. Also, department could not have issued this order without placing the file before the Minister (Transport).”
Earlier in the day, a delegation of State Transport Authority Operators Ekta Manch met the Transport Minister demanding withdrawal of the hike.
“We will continue to struggle for the demand for complete withdrawal of the annual parking charges,” Delhi Taxi Tourist Transporters Association president Sanjay Samrat said, adding a demonstration will be held in the national Capital on December 27 to demand complete lifting of annual parking charges for commercial vehicles.