Delhi parking: a non-profit initiative

This month's Reinventing Parking features an encouraging case of a non-profit organization taking the initiative on parking policy in its home city of Delhi. 

I had a lively conversation with Sonal Shah of the Centre for Sustainable and Equitable Cities (C-SEC), which carried out an important investigation of parking in the vicinity of the Green Park Metro Rail Station in southern Delhi.

Our discussion touched on a very wide range of parking issues that are relevant far beyond Delhi!

You can find the full study here or here (pdf). 

Or scroll down for some highlights.  Or listen to the episode with the player below.


Why a non-profit unsolicited study?

C-SEC took this initiative to highlight the potential for improvement that should have been opened up in Delhi since the enactment of the 2019 Delhi Maintenance and Management of Parking Places Rules which now enable much better local regulation of on-street parking. 

I hope the authorities will pay attention!

A huge need for better parking management

The study found that parking in the area around the Green Park Metro rail station is not hard to find for motorists (search time is modest) but that parking currently has a very negative impact on the pedestrian environment. 


But things could be so much better. The report includes a vision for better street design and parking management on Aurobindo Marg, a key street through the area.


An off-street parking facility is currently under-used which is unsurprising since its fees are the same as the on-street fees, yet access to the facility is much less convenient. 

The study proposes variations in on-street parking fee rates from road to road, depending on demand. 

It also proposes charging in 30 minute slabs rather than an hour.


It found that access to and from the station was overwhelming (70 percent) on foot. Yet the pedestrian environment in the area was generally poor.


Parking spaces in India are counted in terms of Equivalent Car Spaces (ECS). 

 

Improved contracting arrangements for parking fee collection is a central recommendation. Together with the improved fee structure this should enormously increase the city's revenue from on-street parking.

Improved enforcement will obviously be needed too. 

 

There was much much more in our 30 minute conversion. Have a listen!

Or go straight to the C-SEC report. 

Listen to the audio episode here: 



IF YOU LIKED THIS 

Please do recommend Reinventing Parking or SHARE this article and episode with any of your friends or colleagues who might be interested. Please share on social media too!

Subscribe, if you haven't already (it's free):
  • sign up to get Reinventing Parking updates by email
    OR 
  • subscribe to the audio podcast (search for 'Reinventing Parking' in your podcast player app or click the symbol that looks like a wifi icon in one of the players at the top or bottom of this article


Comments