Representative image showing air pollution in Delhi.
Credit: Reuters Photo
New Delhi: In another step to curb the rising air pollution in the national capital, the New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) on Tuesday doubled the parking charges in Lutyens' Delhi area.
"Keeping in view the climatic conditions, the parking fees (off road/indoor) have been enhanced to twice of the existing fees for the parking managed by NDMC till the revocation of stage II of the GRAP," the NDMC order said.
The enhancement of parking charges will not be implemented for the on-street parking sites and monthly pass holders, it added.
The NDMC further directed for strict compliance with immediate effect.
"In keeping Delhi's rising pollution in mind, the NDMC has decided to double its parking charges to encourage people to travel by public transportation," a senior NDMC official told PTI.
Under the normal parking charges for surface parking at the NDMC parking lots, four-wheelers are charged Rs 20 per hour (with a maximum of Rs 100 for a day), while two-wheelers are charged Rs 10 per hour.
In the case of multilevel parking sites, the charges are Rs 10 for four hours for cars and Rs 5 up to four hours for two-wheelers.
For the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), which manages around 96 per cent of the city's geographical area, the parking charges have not been hiked so far as the proposal for the increase is pending clearance before the House.
"The House did not clear the increase. Parking in MCD is based on auction, and accordingly the rate is increased," a senior MCD official said.
The civic body's decision will come after a thick layer of smog had started enveloping Delhi in the morning for the past few days as the city's air quality deteriorated to the 'very poor' category.
The deterioration in air quality led to prompting enforcement of Stage II of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in the national capital, which enforces a ban on the use of coal and firewood, including tandoors in hotels, restaurants, and open eateries, as well as diesel generator sets, except for emergency and essential services.
The parking charges were doubled last year too after GRAP II was enforced on October 21, 2023.