SDMC’S plan to regularise parking in Lajpat Nagar II on back burner
CLEARING CONGESTION Waiting for court to clear Delhi govt’s policy, south body informs
NEW DELHI: While the Delhi government’s parking policy hanging in the balance, the South Delhi Municipal Corporation’s (SDMC) pilot project to regularise residential parking in Lajpat Nagar II’S C-block, which started in June last year, is stuck.
The plan was aimed at decongesting the area by demarcating parking lots in the colony on the ground, but it was discontinued within a month.
The resident welfare association (RWA) were to issue personalised car stickers to residents. Entry to visitors’ vehicles was restricted. The RWA, in coordination with the SDMC had, last year, demarcated parking space by drawing yellow strips. The residents were asked to park within the lines so that access for emergency vehicles such as ambulances and fire tenders was open.
HT on Sunday found that all vehicles, be it those with stickers or of visitors, were parked on roadsides, instead of inside demarcated spaces. At many places, the strip was not visible.
Residents said the plan did not continue for long due to lack of support from SDMC. “We got the parking areas demarcated and also allotted stickers. It worked for around a month but we could not take it further due to lack of support by SDMC,” Yogesh Pahuja, president of Lajpat Nagar II C-block RWA, said.
He said the civic body had assured them that cars parked illegally would be towed and encroachments would be removed but it did not happen. “This was planned to regularise parking in C-block, before the parking policy comes out. However, it was stopped because we thought it can be implemented in a better manner after a policy is in place. Now the government’s policy is in court so the process is stuck,” a senior SDMC official, privy to the developments, said.
SDMC mayor Narendra Chawla said the plan might not have been taken forward due to scarcity of man power and funds.
“Execution is better if there is some policy in place. So now we are looking forward for the parking policy,” he added.
Parking in residential areas is one of the major problems in Delhi and several RWA’S had been taking steps on their own to regulate parking inside colonies.
In Defence Colony, the RWA has issued notices to residents to obtain car stickers from its office before March 1. “With the police’s help, we are planning a drive to remove outsiders’ cars from the area,” a notice by Defence Colony Welfare Association (DCWA) said.
Major (retd) Ranjeet Singh, president, DCWA, said, “Because of the porous nature of the periphery of our colony, it is almost impossible to stop outsiders’ from parking. Also, commercial activities are allowed in the area, so vehicles of clients of lawyers come and we cannot stop them. However, the move will help discourage parking by those who have shops outside.”
Amit Bhatt, director, integrated transport at World Resource Institute, India, said parking in residential areas was a big mess, as there was no clarity on how and where to park. “It can be standardised with the help of a concrete policy. A policy on residential parking is very much needed as it would set a benchmark and help authorities plan accordingly. Policy which have clear cut directions will certainly help in solving the problem,” Bhatt said.