[kmadhok]

All things set aside the Delhi State Government and the MCD finally agree on one thing, Delhi's vehicular scene is a mess.
The AAP Government under directions from the Lieutenant Governor has come up with a proposed parking policy.
Highlights of the policy:

PARKING AT HOME

• Parking on colony roads will attract a fee, though it will be cheaper for night hours
• The rate will be higher for those who own more than two cars
• MCDs will decide on how many cars will be allowed depending on the area of the owner�’s home
• Parking on footpaths will be made a cognizable offence

PARKING AT MARKETS

• Most street-parking will be for visitors. Business owners will need to use parking lots
• Rates will increase exponentially every 30 minutes
• Staying beyond 3 hours could attract an additional Rs 100

The policy is up for discussion within the various authorities involved (as many as eight) and will also be open for public to comment on.

Source

If you are a Delhite, you may want to keep an eye out for this and comment when you have the chance.

Personal opinion:
While no means perfect, it is an attempt to set things right. That being said, there were earlier proposals on similar lines as well like this.

[arvind71181]

Originally Posted by kmadhok

The policy is up for discussion within the various authorities involved (as many as eight) and will also be open for public to comment on.

Source
http://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi-...6YFEEKr6K.html

If you are a Delhite, you may want to keep an eye out for this and comment when you have the chance.

Personal opinion:
While no means perfect, it is an attempt to set things right. That being said, there were earlier proposals on similar lines as well like this.

While this is all good, isn't it time that whatever laws are in place are enforced strictly? Wont that help in resolving the parking mess that is there in probably every major city? Strict implementation of existing laws will probably help more than bringing in new laws.

I know it sounds cynical but that has been my experience on any new law: Enforcement for sometime, then forget about it completely, except during the month end

[SS-Traveller]

Hiking parking fees, making on-street overnight parking and parking on footpaths illegal, trying to make business owners at a market pay for parking at designated parking lots - draconian measures such as these have already been tried in Delhi, and our ministers and bureacrats refuse to learn from past experiences.

Delhiites are always willing to cock a snook at laws that inconvenience them. With parking fees raised from Rs.10 for 4 hours some years ago, to Rs.20 per hour, the congestion on the streets has increased exponentially, as chauffeurs drop their passengers and loiter on the streets, playing a cat-and-mouse game with traffic policemen who try to challan them - at Rs.100 a pop. Go to any mall, and the parking fee is often Rs.30-80 per entry, if not Rs.20 per hour - the resultant number of cars parked on the streets by chauffeurs equals the number of empty parking spaces the basements have, jamming up passage for other vehicles driving by.

Add to this scenario, the number of folks that take a cab to the popular markets and malls, just to avoid the hassle of parking and steep parking fees. These cabs continue to loiter at the malls and markets to pick up departing shoppers, continue to crawl a bit every few minutes to dodge the traffic fines, and as a result cause further congestion on the carriageways.

Want to decongest the roads and allow free flow of traffic? Create sufficient parking spaces, like multi-storey car parks, and charge a smaller (read: reasonable) fee. Take for example, the Sarojini Nagar multi-storey automated car park. They charge Rs.10 per hour, while parking in the designated lots on the street costs Rs.20/hour. The inconvenience of waiting 5 minutes while your car is retrieved, is overshadowed by the lesser price one pays. At some markets, the shop owners fund free parking facilities - and streets in front of these markets are relatively congestion-free.

Oh, and 1 crore vehicles in Delhi being managed by ~7,000 traffic police personnel - what are the chances that you'd be fined? No wonder Delhiites drive and park so badly with no fear of consequences.

[AMG Power]

Why reinvent the wheel?

Use a strategy that's worked very well - that of Singapore - already proven rather than continually come up with half baked measures that haven't been thought through.

Introduce road pricing - have electronic / automatic tolls over various points of most congested roads so that cabbies driving around aimlessly will be continually charged WITHOUT THE HELP OF COPS.

Additionally, also introduce the COE (certificate of entitlement) to own a car loosely referred as "buying your right to drive" which is an additional cost to every car.

While this would dramatically reduce congestion, the automotive industry would use its political clout to ensure this doesn't happen.

Delhi is but a warning to most other cities which will reach Delhi's state of chaos in a few years.

There really is no choice as roads aren't going to become much broader. Of course we can build 5 tiered roads as they have done in China but thats easier said than done.

It's easy to put all these things concepts down in a post, and while Singapore has been successful, the thinking of our political and administrative heads will also need a overhaul if we are going to get anywhere with all of this.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by kmadhok

Delhi's vehicular scene is a mess.

It's not just Delhi - it's the same in other Indian metros...or for that matter, any large city in the world. Check out the scene in Los Angeles or Shanghai. Same traffic issues, same parking problems.

Originally Posted by AMG Power

Introduce road pricing - have electronic / automatic tolls over various points of most congested roads so that cabbies driving around aimlessly will be continually charged WITHOUT THE HELP OF COPS.

Cars are already heavily taxed, and we're already paying a lot of tolls.

Additionally, also introduce the COE (certificate of entitlement) to own a car loosely referred as "buying your right to drive" which is an additional cost to every car.

And kill the giant Indian auto industry overnight? You can't compare the policies of a 'large car producing nation' like India to a 'small importer' like Singapore.

[AMG Power]

Originally Posted by GTO

Check out the scene in Los Angeles or Shanghai....

You can't compare the policies of a 'large car producing nation' like India to a 'small importer' like Singapore.

Los Angeles has already implemented road pricing also called as congestion tax. Shanghai is also framing a congestion tax policy. Several other countries have already implemented congestion tax.

[dailydriver]

Originally Posted by AMG Power

Additionally, also introduce the COE (certificate of entitlement) to own a car loosely referred as "buying your right to drive" which is an additional cost to every car.

Isn't this COE same as auctioning (Car rationing? Govt may introduce lottery system for buying petrol-diesel vehicles)? Given the relatively long way Indian Auto industry has to go in terms of numbers and innovation, and the financial milch cow that it is to the Government, I am skeptical of its effectiveness. Our Government needs money and this can best be generated by collecting taxes from numerous people rather than imposing prohibitory license fee on a privileged few.

Parking on the streets is a bitter but inevitable reality not just in big cities. The most prevalent and preferred site dimension for construction of independent houses in small cities and towns is 30x40. Sparing a 12x5 space for car parking is considered a criminal waste of space.

Plus, we generally have a selective approach towards the issue. As long as it is our car that is parked in front of our house, it is OK. Soon as someone else does that in our space, we tend to get irritated.

Diluting the debate a little, one may argue that since we pay road tax, we may as well park on the roads . The fact that many of our roads are difficult to drive on and therefore we hardly get our taxes' worth of roads, adds credence to the argument .

[Shreyans_Jain]

Yes. Good luck implementing this! Wonder why they come up with such far fetched ideas which they cannot possibly implement. Who are they trying to fool?

A major part of the traffic problem in Delhi is that inter-NCR connectivity sucks. If I have to go to Noida or Greater Noida or Ghaziabad or Meerut or Sonipat or Rohtak from Faridabad, I HAVE TO go through Delhi. There is no alternative. Till very recently, it was the same with Gurgaon as well. With a rapidly growing population that has to travel ever increasing distances for work or entertainment, you have to have proper connectivity between all different NCR cities.

And let's not forget the elephant in the room. Long distance trucks, which again have to cross Delhi. Western Periphery Road (KMP Expressway) is ready but is not used much. Truckers still go through Delhi for multiple reasons. Eastern Periphery Road is delayed by years and is nowhere near completion. Access to UP via Hapur or Meerut has been an absolute mess since as long as I can possibly remember. Everything has been obvious for years, yet our authorities have been sleeping over this mess.

They need to understand​ that this is not a Delhi problem. This is an NCR problem. The solution has to involve all of NCR. Borders may exist in bureaucratic systems but fact is that in reality, it is one single major megacity spread over 3 states. Any attempted solution involving just Delhi is never going to work.

[kmadhok]

Originally Posted by GTO

It's not just Delhi - it's the same in other Indian metros...

In India I think Delhi is probably worse of than others. Comparatively good infrastructure, but comparatively big mess.

Originally Posted by GTO

Cars are already heavily taxed,

Yes. But that does not seem to stop people from buying cars. I know friends and family (and everyone around) complained when petrol prices reached Rs 80 and above, complain of the high taxes on fuel (compared to our not so friendly neighbors), but I did not/ don't see them cutting down on driving.

Originally Posted by GTO

and we're already paying a lot of tolls.

This goes into a separate kitty of building the tolled roads. These funds unlikely would be used for parking.

After the first car, every other car should be taxed exponentially, unless you are replacing the car.
Multi-level car parks should be built with PPP, parking rates should increase exponentially after a few hours, say 4 hrs.
Parking fines, should be high enough to pinch the pocket, at least of a middle class family if not the rich. Say Rs 5000 for each hr the vehicle is parked beyond the permitted time limit. Repeated offence should increase the penalty exponentially.

All of this cannot be done without improved public transport and encouragement of companies like Uber and Ola, which have made cab hailing easier.

On a related note, parking space cost in Hong Kong. Albeit, this is for a different reason, but applies none-the-less.

[DuHasstMich]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

as chauffeurs drop their passengers and loiter on the streets, playing a cat-and-mouse game with traffic policemen

This is so true! I've even seen high-end cars like Bentleys and RRs standing out in the fierce sun and dusty roads, but not use the ample underground parking spaces. What is a mere Rs.100 for owners of such saloons? But it is the mentality that counts.

Us Indians by and large absolutely lack civic sense, and this is one trait which seems to be going further down the drain!

[earthian]

There is no easy solution to this one. We are grappling with three major issues:

• An abhorrence to pay dues, tax.
• An disproportionate majority of VIPs or 'connected' people.
• Corruption, greed and a total lack of civic sense.

We can create congestion areas and levy tolls, taxes accordingly. Yes, we can make it electronic and easy to implement. BUT, we shall have drivers sitting in the cars just outside the zone ( at times, enjoying the air conditioned comfort of the cars - most of the times, the fuel would be paid by someone else, or the Government, or by the same stupid and crass owners who do not want to pay the small levy). Just take a look at most airports which levy a parking charge and you will know what i mean. In Ahmedabad, we have cars lined up, at times haphazardly, just before the toll booths waiting for their passengers to call them, so as to avoid the Rs 60 fee. It is another matter that the drivers sit inside in air conditioned comfort, burning up fuel and further adding to the emissions. Most of us who have drivers may be guilty of this.

The second one is easier to, um.. understand. Rules are meant for the neighbour, for the commoners, for everyone except likes of me. In Delhi, this is particularly glaring. Every one, and i do mean everyone, is connected. To the powers that be. And his immediate action would be to whip out his mobile and dial his 'connection' whilst spewing forth philosophical rants about the state of the Union. The 'babu's wife, out to Khan market to do a bit of speciality shopping for the important guest coming for dinner cannot be told to go walking. Not only would the car come within a stone's throw of the shop; but she would be accompanied by flunkeys who would ensure that she is not embarrassed by some stupid, unknowing, zealous policeman. ( Do we have any left?) How do we implement any rule when such behaviour is the norm?

And then we have the last issue: Corruption, greed. Where there are rules, there is an opportunity to make money. The tougher , the better.

While it may seem hopeless, in reality it has been proven that it can be done. Mindsets can be changed. We need to work on multiple dimensions. Teach them young, try and convert the 'convertible' and punish those that won't. A sustained programme over a generation or two would be needed. However, quick fixes and photo ops solutions, with an eye on the ensuing polls would not help. Surat was one of the dirtiest cities in India - which changed dramatically after the incidence of plague. Today Surat is cleaner than A'Bad.

The root cause is corruption and we need to tackle it with a long term solution. Good education is a starting point. Problem is that our Netas do not want it.

In the short term, apart from the solutions mentioned by our members- and viable solutions they are- we could add some more:

1. Shifting of National level institutions, offices and such to othertowns and cities. RBI is head quartered at Mumbai, not Delhi. Gujarat Electricity Board (GUVNL) is headquartered at Vadodara, not Gandhinagar. Ahmedabad, Bhopal, B'lore (not B'lore, i hear you guys say?) Jaipur, Lucknow, Calcutta. We could shift one office to one State capital or town. But it would mean loss of revenue to some interested parties, and what happens if they are 'connected'?
2. We could shift offices to suburbs and outskirts. This helps in overall city development too.
3. We could bring about efficient and cost effective mass transport systems. Park your car at the multi level car park facility and jump into a tube for going to Sarojini Devi Nagar market. The cost of the parking + metro ticket should be less than the zonal toll cost. Pipe dream!
4. Making the detection, processing and penalty of an offence as electronic as possible. Every car now comes with an RFID and such solutions are not difficult.
5. Conduct road studies and design traffic movement to ensure smooth progress, within the limited road resources we have. We do not need to keep on increasing road capacities within the city- and it is not possible too- we need to regulate traffic flow better

Well, we could go on and on. In Ahmedabad, my daughter and her friends have started a movement for road safety. Early days yet, but promising to see youngsters keen on taking the issue into their hands.

[fine69]

Questions

Does it mean that the local politician and builders, who are my innocent neighbours, will pay additional parking fee because they have setup a permanent shed on the side of the road with asbestos roof and any vehicle that's parked in 10 feet radius automatically loses a wiper, air pressure in tyre and sometimes has a crack on the windshield?

What about those innocent folks who park a scrap worthy scooter when they take their car out so that no one else can park there and just in case you move the scooter be prepared to lose a limb.

However, I would anyday welcome the parking mafia to manage my house parking area so that illegal encroachment can be stopped and it becomes a first come first serve kind of parking.

[oblivion]

I feel the parking problem can be solved by the multilevel parking concept. I have noticed reduction in jam and congestion in most of the areas where we have MLP. Rohini and Janakpuri are the two common places where I visit the most and used to park my car. The good catch is parking is accompanied by various shops and restaurants so that it serves as a mini mall or complex.

I feel the major problem in Delhi is due to commercial vehicles and the taxi sector which is on its peak from several years. While the taxi drivers are creating nuisance on road by rash driving the commercial auto struggle to keep up the pace with cars. Most of the time I can see them struggling and stranded on fly overs leading to huge traffic jams. They never bother to move the vehicle out of the way and start repairing or replacing the spare wheel in middle of road.

[haldar_siliguri]

A congestion tax in Delhi would produce more income for the politicians' dirty pockets than solve anything remotely related to vehicular traffic.

[silverado]

Originally Posted by AMG Power

Why reinvent the wheel?

Use a strategy that's worked very well - that of Singapore - already proven rather than continually come up with half baked measures that haven't been thought through.

Additionally, also introduce the COE (certificate of entitlement) to own a car loosely referred as "buying your right to drive" which is an additional cost to every car. It's easy to put all these things concepts down in a post, and while Singapore has been successful

Singapore has a well developed network of MRT ( which is going to be almost doubled by 2018 ) and a modern bus network to compliment it.
Public transport is differently-able friendly.

Singapore is a tiny country which needs to maintain a balance of certain number of vehicles based on road network added, and hence the concept of COE is crucial for them. In spite of all this, even they have parking issues in certain areas.

Developing modern, fast and efficient public transport is the only option for our congested cities.Mumbai desperately needs waterways to be started.

Regarding parking, its high time we need multi-level automated parking machines now.