No-parking zones flooded in Delhi as higher rates pinch

NEW DELHI: Unauthorised parking site across Nehru Place metro station are doing brisk business: even though authorised lots have raised their rates four-fold in keeping with the NGT order, the “private” ones continue to charge just Rs 20 per hour. Obviously, they are finding favour with most people.

“We hiked the rates to Rs 80 for cars and Rs 40 for bikes on November 10. It resulted in an over 70% fall in our business. Since then, we have decided to charge only Rs 20/hour for both cars and bikes,” said an attendant. Mukesh Kumar, a guard stationed at a DMRC parking lot at Nehru Place, said before November 9, the two metro sites saw at least 250 cars and 300 bikes daily. Over the past three days, there was a 50% fall in the number of vehicles, he said.

The story is similar, whether it’s Sant Nagar, East of Kailash or Connaught Place. A visit to Connaught Place on Sunday suggested that the attempt to discourage use of private vehicles has not been very effective.


“The number of vehicles at our parking lots has decreased even as more and more people are risking parking their vehicles in tow-away zones,” said Sunil Kumar, an attendant at an NDMC parking lot in CP. The outer and inner circles were brimming with personal cars in no-parking zones.

Things weren’t much different at Sarojini Market either. But as the rush was huge, it being a Sunday, the NDMC parking lots were full too – despite charging Rs 80 an hour. Many motorists were still not aware of the hiked fee and were involved in heated arguments with attendants.