New Delhi: SDMC has now proposed to double parking charges at the Yusuf Sarai Market and is likely to enforce a strict no-parking zone at
Balbir Saxena Marg to combat revenue being lost due to the under-utilisation of its higher-priced Green Park multi-level parking facility in the same area.
Leader of House Narendra Chawla said in a meeting of the SDMC Standing Committee on Wednesday that the move
was made "to minimise
parking menace and to attract vehicles towards automated multilevel car parking in Green Park".
South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) and Delhi Traffic Police had conducted an inspection of the park-and-ride facility near Green Park Metro Station on March 10, which found that only 30-40 per cent of the full capacity of 136 ECS is currently being used.
While one major reason for this is the pandemic with many working from home and several others choosing public transport, other major reasons included illegal free parking on Balbir Saxena Marg and the availability of an equally priced surface parking space at Yusuf Sarai market.
The civic body also proposed possible solutions, starting with strict enforcement of no-parking zones on
Balbir Saxena Marg and Yusuf Sarai Market on Aurobindo Marg.
The parking fare of Yusuf Sarai Market's authorized surface parking (next to the multi-level parking structure and not Green Park Extension side) to be increased. At present, the parking fare is Rs 20/hour (maximum Rs 100) which is to be doubled to Rs 40/hour (maximum Rs 200).
The inspection team has proposed that to encourage commuters to utilise the multi-level parking, rates of all street-level parking sites
within a 500m distance of the Green Park Metro Station facility be increased to Rs 40 per hour.
This does not affect parking charges at Hauz Khas which were only recently hiked to Rs 30 per hour.
However, this will be applicable for surface parking sites at Yusuf Sarai Market (from the edge of the footover bridge to Gate No. 2 of Green Park Metro Station, D.A.V.Model School). The site has a total
ECS capacity of 124 four-wheelers and 54 two-wheelers, of which 81 four-wheelers and 34 two-wheelers are on the side of the multi-level parking.
The proposal now awaits a green signal from the SDMC House.