NEW DELHI: Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) is preparing a proposal to double parking fees at all its 400-plus lots in the city.The move is aimed at dissuading travel in private vehicles and promoting public transport instead in pollution season. “The proposal will soon be placed before the House for approval,” an MCD official said.
If okayed, revised rates will take effect immediately and remain in place until air quality improves. This isn’t MCD’s first attempt. Multiple proposals for a fourfold increase were rejected by the House, citing implementation challenges and public inconvenience.‘Doubling parking fee won’t impact revenue much’The last proposal to double the rates was also referred back by the House, which is why we are preparing a fresh one now,” the official said.“We hope the House will support this move as it directly aligns with GRAP norms and Delhi’s broader pollution-control strategy. Though implementation may face hiccups since parking lots are operated by contractors under existing agreements and any change requires revising their terms and conditions, we have estimated that doubling the fee won’t significantly impact overall revenue collection,” the official said.Currently, the capital is under GRAP-II restrictions with the air quality hovering in the ‘very poor’ bracket. New Delhi Municipal Council is also considering doubling parking charges in areas it controls However, unlike MCD, NDMC runs these facilities with the help of its own staffers, giving it the flexibility to introduce changes, such as raising fees, quickly.