Delhi residents are set to face a significant rise in parking fees, as the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) plans to double charges at nearly 400 surface parking lots across the city. A revised proposal for the hike will be presented at the House meeting scheduled for November 14, according to MCD officials.

This decision follows a recent review by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), which assessed the implementation of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). The CAQM directed the MCD to thoroughly evaluate the city's public parking fee structure.

The proposal for a fourfold increase in parking rates, initially presented by the MCD, was rejected earlier. An MCD official explained that for the past nine months, even before the enforcement of GRAP norms, the MCD had proposed granting the commissioner the authority to increase parking fees up to four times once GRAP II came into effect. A second proposal to adjust parking fees based on location and footfall was also tabled but was put on hold. In September, the proposal to hike parking fees as per GRAP norms was referred back for further consideration.

The MCD also mentioned that parking operations in the city are managed by concessionaires through monthly license agreements, making fee increases a complicated process. The corporation noted that abruptly closing existing contracts could lead to legal issues. However, on October 4, an advisory was issued to parking contractors, instructing them to adhere to all traffic management directives to ensure smooth operations.

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