In a bid to discourage the parking of vehicles at roadsides, Delhi government wants to make the use of multi-level parking facilities mandatory for Delhiites and is also looking to introduce a five-fold hike in surface parking rates.
These recommendations have been drawn up by the committee on air and water pollution which was constituted by Delhi Lt Governor Najeeb Jung after the city was described as the most polluted in the world in a World Health Organisation report. Once finalised, these recommendations will be sent to Jung seeking his approval.
According to officials, multi-level parking lots which were introduced to solve the problem of parking in Delhi are the most under-utilised parking facilities in the city.
"We are planning an increase in rates of surface parking by five times. One currently has to pay Rs 10 per hour for multi-level parking while, for surface parking, one pays about Rs 20 per hour," said an official from the environment department.
Officials are also planning to penalise the car-owners who do not use multi-level parking facilities as that would then force them to use these.
The initiative is also an attempt to tackle the parking mafia which usually charges more money for parking, the official said. "There is congestion as the cars are parked on roadsides, leaving little or no space for pedestrians. People refrain from using multi-level parking as there are long queues to enter these and it also takes time to get cars out," said the official.
According to a study conducted by the Centre for Science and Environment, nearly 1,300 vehicles come out on Delhi's roads each year, requiring parking space equivalent to nearly 310 football fields. The study further states that almost 10%t of the total urban land space in Delhi is used for parking.
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