No more surface parking: MCD seeks govt nod

New Delhi: The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) is planning to phase out all surface parking sites in the city and will soon write to the Delhi government seeking approval, officials said on Monday.

Surface parking, open, ground-level spaces without barriers, has been flagged as a major source of congestion and mismanagement in several parts of Delhi. At present, the capital has more than 300 such authorised sites, most of them run by private contractors.

“In surface parking, vehicles are often parked haphazardly since there is no clear demarcation or proper entry-exit points. Contractors sometimes extend parking beyond the designated area and charge extra money,” an official told.

Officials explained that unlike multi-level or authorised ‘barrier’ parking facilities, surface parking sites are open and unmonitored. Barricades cannot be installed on busy roads, making such areas prone to misuse. “Since contractors manage these 300 sites, all complaints and allegations come to the MCD, even though we do not directly run them. These sites are not helping us in any way,” the official said.

The civic body is considering making parking free for citizens once the sites are phased out. “For the time being, we are suggesting phasing out these parking sites completely and making parking free for people. We had earlier also given this suggestion to the Delhi government and are once again planning to write to it on the matter,” the official added.

However, two challenges remain, revenue loss and possible chaos. Buyers currently pay a one-time parking fee at the time of vehicle registration, which is meant to cover use of surface parking. “For revenue management, we are proposing to double this one-time parking fee at the time of registration and eventually abolish surface parking charges altogether. The idea is that people should not be asked to pay again and again,” the person explained.

Referring to the city’s larger parking crisis, another senior official said, “Whatever arrangements we have are just a drop in the ocean. The best option is to shift towards public transport, cycling, or walking. Otherwise there

will be no solution.”