Tired of daily fights over parking? Allotted spaces might bring peace
Delhi’s parking woes are legendary. Neighbours get into ugly duels and brothers kill each other over parking spots. Remember the Model Town case where three were killed in April? Such incidents making headlines is not alarming anymore. To ease out parking concerns, authorities have started allotting dedicated parking spaces.
The South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC), on Monday, started allotting two parking spots per flat in Lajpat Nagar and Kailash Colony as part of a project to decongest the Capital. Hopefully, this project will not only bring relief to Delhiites but city cops as well. “Most of the parking spats happen in posh colonies where people have more than one car. Most societies and apartments have fixed parking space, but if anyone owns 3-4 cars, they park them outside their house, which is basically a no-parking zone. They tend to consider these spaces as their private parking space,” says Chinmoy Biswal, DCP South-East. At times, one can spot traffic cops issuing challans for illegal parking, but they don’t take any action beyond that.
Police officials state that parking-related assaults are registered under sudden provocation and trivial issues. In 2017, the total number of such cases were recorded to be 91, whereas in 2018 (until April 30), the number had already crossed 40.
Kanika Khanna, a resident of Lajpat Nagar, says, “Some days back, two neighbours fought with each other for parking, and started abusing and beating each other. We have put a no parking board on our entry gate, but if such a decision comes from the authorities, it will surely be a relief.”
Often, the individuals involved in the dispute show off their contacts to get the parking space and get rid of the police. One of the police personnel shares, on the condition of anonymity, an incident in South Delhi. “More than the parking dispute, it was the case of ego between a senior lawyer and an IAS officer. They didn’t involve themselves in a direct spat but called the police through their contacts, to occupy the parking space. Such cases waste our time,” he says.
“These days, to tell people to not park in your spot is like khatron se khelna... kaun kab bandook nikal le, pata nahi. We hope allotting spaces would reduce such fights,” says Akhila Tiwari, a south Delhi resident.
People with 34 cars tend to consider the space outside their house as their private parking space.
CHINMOY BISWAL DCP
SOUTHEAST