Congestion

“Modalities such as how much will be the tax and how it will be implemented, whether it will be through a payment card, etc are yet to be worked out. Also, any new tax will require legislative approval, which takes time,” said Ranbir Singh, the east Delhi municipal commissioner.

The head of the Delhi traffic police Deepender Pathak said, “The LG has asked DIMTS (Delhi Integrated Multi-modal Transit System Limited) to carry out a feasibility study of the corridors. One has to identify alternate routes for the corridors where such tax is imposed.”

Baijal could not be reached for comments despite repeated attempts.

According to Delhi government data, the number of cars registered in the city as of May 2017 was 31 lakh — the highest in the country — with a density of 93 cars per km of road. Pollution spikes in the city every winter, forcing officials to resort to stringent measures and declaring public health emergency in the city.

But transport experts say that imposing congestion tax is easier said than done. “First, such a tax can only work if you have a good framework like robust public transport and adequate parking space. Second, you will have to provide alternate routes, and give options to people. Third, one has to be clear about the nature of tax, if it will be imposed on entry to the city, or like London for entering central areas during certain times in the day,” said G Raghuram, a transport economist at the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore.

In London, a congestion fee of P11.50 is imposed on weekdays in a 20-square km area around the city centre for vehicles entering between 7am and 6pm. London uses automatic number platerecognition cameras at 348 entry sites, and vehicle owners entering the charged zones can either pay online through mobile phones or at specific stores. Sing-