RESPONSE/SUGGESTION ON DRAFT PARKING POLICY IN DELHI

The Dy. Commissioner (Operations I),

Room No: 208, 2^nd Floor,

Transport Deptt., GNCT of Delhi,

5/9 Under Hill Road,

DELHI - 110054

SUB: RESPONSE/SUGGESTION ON DRAFT PARKING POLICY IN DELHI:

Dear Sir,

Reference to your Public Notice in the Hindustan Times of today’s date, I take the opportunity to express my views as under:

I begin with a cautionary prelude that time is not far when frustration, super hypertension and road rage will drive motorists to commit suicides on roads like farmers in the fields. A total collapse of traffic management has begun to crawl in, already in sight. Over 2000 vehicles are added on the Delhi streets each day - wonder how many are shown the exit door. Car industry apparently cannot be dumped into the sea, but restraint on the speeding horse is necessary. The paradoxical situation is somewhat like patting the back and kicking in the belly. 

Car manufactures need to toe statutory warnings on cigarette packs: "Congrats for being the proud owner of this new car. By the time you change it, you would have either snuffed life out of your 100 fellow citizens or sent them to hospital beds". 

Making parking tough for motorists will have a cascading effect on the entire traffic management, including relief from traffic snarls and pollution control - the two deadly dragons overshadowing the entire spectrum of roads.

1.        Put a complete ban on parking on city main roads/highways above 60’ in width except in case of emergency or break-down, which can be prominently indicated by a reflective triangular stand supplied as an accessory with every new vehicle. Making these roads as VIP parking zones for elite who can dole out high parking charges ,will no doubt continue to keep the government’s revenue bed-rock warm, but the sole purpose of keeping roads free from obstructions would be partially achieved. Modern generation that is buying cars like never before and does not think twice before filling up petrol tanks, will soon acclimatize itself with the new parking norms howsoever prohibitive they may appear on paper. In spite of the onetime parking charges levied on new cars, people are still paying parking charges unchallenged. Moreover, it would be a daunting task for attendants to control cars parked on such long spans of unending serpentine roads with speeding vehicles of sorts. They would be risking their lives by racing up and down and missing the targets many a time. Let there be no dams in the free flow of rivers. Make these roads of 60’ and above in width NO PARKING NO HALTING zones for all types of vehicles.

2.             The paid parking scheme of 100/- per hour and Rs.50/- per subsequent hours could be applicable on roads having width between 50’ and 60’ as an experiment and for effective administration.

3.             For the present, let all Colony inner lanes below 50’ in width remain untouched by any parking scheme. The 35‘frontage of a plot of say 300 sq.yds that hitherto used to have a main gate of 10’ wide and the rest of the area barricaded by a compound wall, is now witnessing a sea change with the introduction of new building bylaws that have made stilt floor mandatory for parking. The entire frontage of such plots is now gated with compound walls preferred out. Every tenth building in residential colonies is being re-built and parking by outsiders in front of new buildings will not be possible. Parking issues in the Colony inner lanes are therefore, going to take care of themselves in a few years.

4.             Make it a norm of one car per family. It is easy to implement this by linking Adhaar card with the car Registration Certificate or by whatever foolproof means. 

5.              Investing in a car of say Rs.10L means losing interest of Rs.8T pm. and if it is driver driven, add salary Rs.10T pm. Petrol cost between Rs.5 to 10T pm. Facilitate commuters patronize OLA, UBER and the like. They work out much cheaper, are driver driven, tension free with A/C comfort, can be pooled and are constantly on the move. Creating parking yards for such taxis at odd sites like on top or the banks of open master storm water drains cutting throughout the city is not a daunting task. Smile will be retained on car manufactures as well as these vehicles would clock high mileage soon and need to be replaced within a few years.

Employment will also get a boost up.

6.             Companies, Government Institutions and the like should not provide chauffer driven company cars to their officers or staff and the practice of providing car allowance and rebates on purchase and maintenance of cars should also be abolished from the purview of Income Tax.

7.             With the city metro rail set to cover the range of kilometers from Delhi to Amritsar and buildings overlooking the tracks already declared for mixed land use, malls, health-care centres, motels, hotels, medical / education institutes, eating joints show-rooms et all are springing up at a rapid pace in these areas. With stations at an average distance of 2-3 kms, it is now convenient for citizens to hop and shop using the metro network. Public transport needs further revitalization for effective implementation sans personal vehicles.

8.             Adopt subtle means to discourage excessive use of cars by making residential Colony markets free of motorized vehicles. Reserve these areas exclusive for pedestrians and cycles. Convert wall bound Parks in  the local markets into open gardens merged with the landscape full of greenery, benches, kids modular play apparatus, open gyms, LED lights and  illuminated  advertisement boards and let the market associations maintain and secure these expanses. Vehicles running in lower gears in congested areas puff out more concentrated poisonous emissions.

9.              Government should be bold enough to remove all illegal encroachments, make-shift shrines and unauthorized kiosks, extensions in markets, from foot paths, road sides and public places for free flow of traffic. Enforce laws already lying in the closets and come down heavy on violators instead of playing politics. Why not ban plying of cycle rickshaws and the crude e-ricks in upper graded colonies? When NDMC and VIP areas can deliver results extend this example to A, B and C category colonies as a gradual expansion of traffic management that will also up the aesthetics of the city.

10.              Number of road signals need to be reduced on high profile roads causing more of harm. There are too many confusing direction boards dangling on these roads at different optic angles. All road signages should be just in two languages – Hindi, the National language and English International language. Overabundances of languages distract attention of motorists in high speed. 

11.             Schools were rightly earmarked in the Lay out Plan of every Colony like other services. We cannot uproot them now; but have to bear the worst out of the horrible situation emanating out of diesel school buses and private carriers. Accept the oft' forwarded suggestion as under:

(a)             Foremost preference to local kids.

(b)              For remaining seats extend the radius to 3 kms and stop at 5 kms max.  

(c)             Buses should load/off-load children within the school premises and all school buses should remain parked within the precincts of the schools.

With the changing times and exigencies of the situation, bitter pills have to be prescribed  and a holistic view covering all related aspects to parking have to be taken into account to achieve the goal. More colours need to be filled in a limited black and white picture.  

I have full confidence that the Delhi Government shall work in all sincerity and impartiality and that this Agenda will attain perfection with the inputs of the public that commutes on the roads night and day and can assess the situation with much more maturity.

Thanking you and with kind regards,

Sincerely,

{D.B. SOOD}  via email