- Parking charges doubled from November 1 to February 28.
- Non-Delhi BS-VI vehicles restricted from entering national capital.
- Construction and demolition activities banned in phases.
Delhi Winter Pollution Plan: The Delhi government recently announced a slew of measures to curb winter pollution, including hiked parking rates, restrictions on the entry of non-Delhi-registered vehicles below BS-VI, stricter enforcement of the "No PUC, No Fuel" rule and curbs on construction and demolition activities.
Parking Charges Doubled From Nov 1
Parking charges at authorised parking sites will be doubled from November 1 to February 28 to discourage private vehicle use, while electric vehicles will be exempt from the additional parking charges.
Parking spaces owned and managed by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation will be excluded from the hike. Office timings will be staggered from November 1 to February 28, with MCD offices functioning from 8:30 am to 5 pm and Delhi government offices from 10 am to 6:30 pm. Government and private offices will reduce their physical workforce by 50 per cent, with half of the staff working from home, the government said.
The measures were discussed at an action-based planning meeting on Delhi and NCR pollution chaired by Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav and attended by Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, PWD Minister Parvesh Verma and Sirsa.
Will Increasing Parking Charge Curb Pollution?
The past experience of increasing parking rates has not been very encouraging. Such hikes in areas under the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), which manages more than 96% of the city’s geographical area, failed to achieve the purpose due to implementation issues.
ALSO READ: Delhi's Barapullah Phase 3 Inaugurated: How Will It Ease Traffic? Check Project Details
HT reported that such move did not get support from the civic body’s elected council (MCD). Without approval of the council, hikes in the parking charge cannot be implemented. In past, the civic body rejected the proposals. In November 2017, parking fees were quadrupled under the GRAP to fight air pollution, but the decision backfired and created chaos on the roads. Drivers started parking in unauthorised areas to skip the increased fees. The parking fee hikes emerged as counterproductive, triggering chaotic traffic conditions and jams due to unauthorised parking on roadsides. Subsequently, the authorities had to roll back their decision.
Officials said it is difficult to implement without consultation with all stakeholders, including private parking contractors. They argued such a spike in parking charges only encourages unauthorised parking which leads to a more chaotic situation.
Dr S Velmurugan, former chief scientist at the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI), suggested that the national capital needed stronger enforcement and uniform policy to achieve the purpose. He pointed out the loose implementation by the agencies.
Meanwhile, Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Monday announced a series of measures to curb winter pollution. Vehicles registered outside Delhi that are below BS-VI will be prohibited from entering the national capital from November 1, while electric vehicles will be exempt from additional parking charges. BS (I-VI) refers to emission standards of vehicles, with BS-VI vehicles being compliant with the most stringent standards. Sirsa said the government will publicise the restriction in advance. CNG vehicles will not fall under the separate BS-IV restriction, he said.
Dust-generating demolition activity and outdoor civil construction work at construction sites will be prohibited from November 1 to December 10. Between December 10 and January 20, there will be a complete ban on construction and demolition activities, including indoor activities, officials said.
(With PTI Inputs)