Delhi Govt Withdraws Order Of 18-Fold Hike In Parking Charges

The Delhi government withdrew on Monday, 24 December, its order of an 18-fold hike in one-time parking charges for cars and annual fees for commercial vehicles from 1 January. The Delhi Transport Department had, on Friday, approved a recommendation for the hike by three municipal corporations of the city. Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot, on Monday, directed withdrawal of his department's previous order due to "irregularities" in it.

"The order issued by the Transport Department, dated December 21, 2018, under the signature of Pradeeep Kumar, Deputy Controller of Accounts regarding increasing the parking charges in South/North/East Delhi Municipal Corporations, appears to be irregular for many reasons," the minister said in his order.

"Transport dept has been directed to withdraw the order dt 21.12.2018 reg increase in parking charges in South/East/North Delhi Municipal Corporations. Owners of Commercial/Non commercial vehicles need not deposit the enhanced parking fee till the matter has been examined afresh (sic)," Gahlot tweeted.

He said that in the previous order, the revised charges were not notified by the Union Urban Affairs Ministry that has administrative control over the municipal corporations. Also, no opinion was sought from the Law Department of the Delhi government. The 21 December order was issued on behalf of the then Transport Commissioner Varsha Joshi on her last working day at the department. She is currently holding the charge of the North Delhi Municipal Corporation.

The order had raised the one-time parking charges of cars from existing Rs 4,000 to up to Rs 75,000 based on price of the vehicles. The annual parking charges of commercial vehicles like buses were also raised from existing Rs 6,000 to Rs 75,000. Earlier in the day, a delegation of State Transport Authority Operators Ekta Manch had met the Transport minister demanding the withdrawal of hike in parking charges.

"We will continue to struggle for the demand for complete withdrawal of the annual parking charges," Delhi Taxi Tourist Transporters Association president Sanjay Samrat said that a demonstration will be held in the city on 27 December to demand a complete lifting of annual parking charges