Civic body to hike vehicle parking charges

Here’s a reason for not buying your own vehicle and resorting to public mode of transportation. The MCD plans to hike parking charges across the board for private and commercial vehicles.

Every new buyer of a vehicle will have to shell out a certain charge at the time of registration of the vehicle that is deposited with the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).

Almost 1,000 to 1,200 vehicles are added to Delhi roads daily. MCD authorities feel that by increasing the parking charges (called night parking charges in MCD’s parlance) will not just increase their revenue, but also discourage use of private vehicles.

The proposed hike ranges from double for small and cheaper cars to almost five times for costly cars for the private vehicles.

The civic body, already in severe financial crunch, is doing its best to increase its revenue. The municipal commissioner is likely to present a proposal to this effect during Wednesday’s standing committee meeting.

As per the proposal, the charges for private cars costing below R4 lakh are to be hiked from R2,000 to R4,000; for cars between R4-10 lakh, it is going to increase from R4,000 to R 12,000 and for the high-end cars above R10 lakh, the proposed hike is from R4,000 to R 20,000.

Such charges are levied as most car owners park their cars on MCD roads due to lack of adequate parking. Different types of vehicles pay different night parking charges, which is one-time payment made at the time of registration. Under the current proposal, several categories would have to pay double the amount.

Standing Committee chairman Yogender Chandolia said, “This (the hike) would augment the declining resources of the corporation. However, it is too early to term this as final. The municipal commissioner is going to present this proposal on Wednesday, where it would be discussed threadbare.”

MCD’s budget proposal this year didn’t increase any property tax. So the civic body feels it is just too right to come up with other tax hike proposals to increase the revenue.

“Moreover, anybody who can afford to buy a car can also afford to spend a small amount on parking charges,” Chandolia added.

Earlier in 2010, the MCD had also contemplated a proposal to impose night parking charges every time vehicle owners renewed their insurance. The proposal is, however, yet to come through.