Delhi Parking Charges May Double Under GRAP From Wednesday

New Delhi, Nov 3 (PTI) The Municipal Corporation of Delhi is likely to double parking charges at its around 400 surface parking lots from Wednesday as part of anti-pollution measures under the GRAP II restrictions, with the proposal expected to be approved by the competent authority shortly, officials said on Tuesday.

The proposal is currently under examination by the civic body's law department and is expected to receive the necessary clearance within a day or two, following which the revised rates will be implemented, a senior official said.

The move is aimed at discouraging the use of private vehicles amid deteriorating air quality in the national capital.

However, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has been unable to implement similar hikes in previous years due to opposition to the proposals and contractual complications involving private parking operators.

The civic body has cited the terms of its existing agreements with contractors as one of the reasons for not doubling parking charges under GRAP in the past. Under these agreements, the additional amount collected after doubling the charges does not automatically accrue to the corporation.

"Under the existing terms and conditions, there is no provision for the additional amount collected after doubling the parking charges to automatically go to the MCD. If the charges are doubled without addressing the contractual arrangements, the additional money could go to the contractor," an official said.

The corporation has also flagged the possibility of parking operators seeking compensation if restrictions on older vehicles lead to a decline in the number of vehicles using their facilities.

"If the number of vehicles coming to these parking sites falls because of the restrictions, contractors could claim losses and seek compensation from the MCD. The existing contracts cannot simply be changed without examining the terms and the mechanism for revising them," the official said.

Another challenge flagged by the civic body is the lack of consolidated data on vehicles using its parking facilities. The parking lots cater to vehicles registered in Delhi as well as other NCR cities, while registration records are maintained by the transport department, officials said.

The MCD has made several attempts to increase parking charges in the past, including proposals for a four-fold hike, but these failed to secure the House's approval. An earlier proposal to double the rates was also referred back by the House, while a revised proposal was rejected in March 2025.

The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), however, has already doubled parking charges at its parking lots from November 1 as part of its pollution-control measures.

The existing hourly parking rates at MCD facilities are Rs 20 for four-wheelers and Rs 10 for two-wheelers.

(Disclaimer: This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)