Civic bodies all set to enforce new parking policy

Municipal officials on Wednesday said they were all set to enforce rules notified in the new parking policy and had begun work on preparing area-wise parking plans and differential parking charges.

The rules say civic agencies will have to tow away vehicles parked on footpaths, be it residential or other public spaces.

Officials said the policy will add strength to the local bodies in terms of enforcement as it says major enforcement activities such as towing away and regulating parking will have to be done by the civic agencies.

Now that the parking policy has been notified, the onus of implementing the policy greatly lies on the municipal corporations. In four months, they will have to come up with area parking plans, work on differential parking rates, manage on-street parking, parking in residential streets among others.

Under the area parking plan, on-street spaces should give priority to pedestrians, cyclists, emergency vehicles, differently abled and parking facilities, mass public transit and vendor zones with sitting areas, the policy read.

Area parking plans will be made for residential as well as for commercial places. Space will be demarcated for all types of parking spaces for all modes as well as essential street amenities as per the master plan 2021.

A senior official of the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) said the USP of the policy was the formation of area parking plans on which the civic body had already started working.

“We have already started working on a plan to regulate parking in Lajpat Nagar-III residential area. We will submit a report to the Supreme Court after implementing the plan. Since the policy has been notified, we will work on formulating plans for other areas as well,” the official said.

Dilraj Kaur, commissioner of the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC), said the parking policy was long due and was need of the hour for a city that has around 11 million vehicles.

“The parking policy will strengthen the hands of municipal corporations in dealing with parking problems and enforcement of rules. It will help us in streamlining parking problems by rationalising parking places,” she said.

She said area parking plans would help civic bodies assess needs of localities, know the gaps and find solutions.

The policy says parking arrangements must not impinge on the free movement of traffic.

North Delhi Municipal Corporation commissioner Varsha Joshi said the civic body would first formulate area parking plans.

“The policy will now enable the civic bodies to work on differential parking rates, which the North Delhi Municipal Corporation had already started in Karol Bagh by making on-street parking dearer. We are mulling over to implement similar differential parking charges in other market areas such as Kamla Nagar. We will streamline roadside parking and create more parking places. With the parking policy in place, random and haphazard parking will go,” Joshi said.

She said any step in connection with parking in residential area would be taken in consultation with resident welfare associations.

Deputy commissioners of municipal corporation zones, chairman of the New Delhi Municipal Council, commissioner (land) of Delhi Development Authority and CEO of the Delhi Cantonment Board will be responsible for preparation of area parking plans.