Delhi L-G notifies new policy to levy parking charges in residential areas

A new parking policy for the national capital was notified by Lt Governor Anil Baijal, on January 29, 2018, paving the way for levying charges on parking of vehicles, on designated streets and lanes in residential areas. As part of the notification, the policy, to be known as the ‘Delhi Maintenance and Management of Parking Rules, 2017’, will be open for suggestions from the public and other stakeholders for a month. Thereafter, the rules will be finally notified by the transport department of the Delhi government with requisite changes, a senior transport department official said. An apex monitoring committee, headed by the chief secretary of the Delhi government will be formed, for implementation of the rules. Within four months of notification of the rules, civic agencies, including the MCDs and the DDA, will come out with ‘Local Area Parking Plans’, including for residential areas. The fees for parking on designated streets and lanes in residential areas, will be decided by the civic agencies in consultation with the residents’ welfare associations (RWAs), the notification said. Parking charges will be according to a base parking fee. It will be determined by the apex committee through a base parking fee panel that will be headed by the transport commissioner, it said. The civic agencies will be responsible for identifying and providing space, for night parking of commercial vehicles, for which charges will be levied, the notification said. The local area plans will also ensure special provisions for the differently-abled persons, according to the norms set by the Bureau of Indian Standards, National Building Code of India and others. The rules also provide for exclusive parking facilities for e-rickshaws and other electric vehicles. It also aims to ban parking on footpaths and main roads, with the traffic police and civic agencies being authorised to tow away such vehicles. Towing away and daily custody charges will range from Rs 200 to Rs 2,000, the notification stated.