Urban News

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi’s (MCD) plan to hand over the management of its authorised parking sites to former servicemen in time for the Commonwealth Games seems to have hit a roadblock.

Touted as the “only solution” to the problems of unauthorised parking, steep parking charges and rude attendants, the plan has failed to find favour with most MCD members because of “non-workable financial returns”.

The MCD has now decided to hand over the management of most of its parking lots to local contractors, making all attempts to streamline the management of these sites by ensuring a “close watch”.

“MCD had earlier decided to not allot parking sites to any civilians and instead hand them to former servicemen. There were, however, some problems and now we have decided to hand over only a few sites for a three-month period,” said Leader of MCD House Subhash Arya. “If it works out fine, we will consider extending their contract.”

Of the 200 authorised parking sites under the MCD’s jurisdiction, 176 parking sites will be handed over to local contractors after a tendering process.

The agency will allot management of its remaining 24 parking sites — two in each municipal zone — to former Armymen.

Under the new contract, the contractors will have to ensure that all attendants are “uniformed and well-mannered”. The MCD will further install close circuit television (CCTV) cameras at parking lots in a phased manner, and provide attendants “electronic devices to give parking receipts”, said MCD Standing Committee chairperson Yogender Chandolia. 

According to agency members, the idea behind bringing in former Armymen to regulate parking lots was to put an end to the use of illegal parking lots. Officials said: “The bids offered by the interested former servicemen did not seem financially viable to the Corporation.”

Lieutenant-Governor Tejendra Khanna suggested earlier this year that former servicemen be roped in to manage parking lots.

The agency also has plans to “change the current parking scene in Delhi for the better in time for the Games” by ensuring all contractors put up maps of the area and available parking space on a mandatory display board outside their lots. The MCD has also directed them to demarcate each parking space by drawing yellow lines to avoid overcrowding.

By next month, MCD will also put up detailed maps of all authorised parking sites on its website. It has put up a list of 156 such sites and a list of the contractors managing them on the website.

Under new contract

The contractor will:

* Ensure all attendants are “uniformed and well-mannered”

* Put up maps of the area and available parking space on a mandatory display board outside their lots

* Demarcate each parking space to avoid overcrowding

MCD will:

* Install CCTV cameras at parking lots in phased manner

* Provide attendants electronic devices to give parking receipts