The people of Delhi do not seem to be getting any relief from pollution. Amidst this air pollution, the people of the capital will have to shell out more. Let us tell you further. In fact, New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has doubled the charges for the parking areas run by it with the aim of reducing the use of personal vehicles by the people.
It is being told that there are a total of 91 parking spaces in the NDMC area. Of these, 41 are maintained by NDMC where parking has now become expensive. Apart from 41, the maintenance of other parking spaces is in the hands of other agencies which have been outsourced.
The parking lot between Rajpath and AIIMS, including Sarojini Nagar Market, Khan Market, Lodhi Road, INA, AIIMS and Safdarjung comes under the jurisdiction of NDMC. Heavy traffic is seen on these sites.
A notification has been issued regarding the increase in parking charges in which it has been said that considering the climate, it has been decided to double the parking charges (off road/on road). This decision has been taken with the aim of reducing the use of private vehicles. This charge will be collected till January 31.
It has been said in the notification that in view of the pollution situation, this decision has been taken keeping in mind the Graded Action Response Plan (GRAP) Phase IV guidelines implemented in Delhi.
Let us tell you that under the Central Government’s air pollution control plan GRAP for Delhi-NCR, the works have been divided into four phases. Stage I – Poor (AQI 201-300), Stage II – Very Poor (AQI 301-400), Stage III – Severe (AQI 401-450) and Stage IV – Severe Plus (AQI above 450).
Currently, NDMC charges for surface parking as follows – Rs 20 per hour and maximum Rs 100 is charged for four wheelers. NDMC charges Rs 10 per hour and a maximum of Rs 50 for two-wheelers. The monthly fee for four-wheelers is Rs 2,000 while for two-wheelers it is fixed at Rs 1,000.