Hiring farmhouses, cars set to cost more as North MCD hikes fee

Buying a car or hiring a farmhouse in the city is all set to get costlier, as the North Delhi Municipal Corporation on Friday approved the hike in one-time parking fee for vehicles and doubling of the charge for mansions used as wedding venues.

The proposal for revision of one-time parking fee charged at the time of registration of vehicles was passed earlier this month by the North MCD’s Standing Committee.

South Delhi Municipal Corporation has also proposed a hike in the one-time parking fee while East Corporation is yet to table it. “The parking fee decision will now go to Delhi government and the final nod hinges on them. Since, there are three different corporations, they (Delhi govt) may go for uniformity and send the proposal back to the civic bodies with suggestions,” a senior North MCD official said.

“As far as hike in farmhouses hiring fee is concerned, the decision will go to the Union Urban Development Ministry for the final nod,” he added. Once approved, the new policy will further push prices of cars and high end non-commercial vehicles from Rs 6,000 to over Rs 6 lakh. The prices of commercial vehicles will also be further raised from Rs 9,500 to Rs 36,000, a senior municipal officer said. According to studies, Delhi has about 7.5 million cars with about 1,200 more being added every day. The one-time parking rates were revised last time in 2004. The revision aimed at helping the civic body financially, will earn it significant revenue due to sale of large number of cars and SUVs in Delhi every year.

The North MCD on Friday also approved the Standing Committee’s resolution to double the fees charged from farmhouses being used commercially for holding marriages and other functions by their owners, a civic official said.