The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) plans to increase parking fees as part of efforts to reduce the use of private vehicles and address air pollution from vehicular emissions, officials announced on Monday.

A proposal for the fee hike will be presented at the upcoming MCD House meeting on November 14, coinciding with the elections for Delhi's new mayor and deputy mayor.

The move to raise parking charges is part of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP)-II, which has been under discussion for some time but has been postponed multiple times for further review. Originally, the MCD proposed a fourfold increase in parking fees, but after extensive discussions, this has now been revised to a twofold increase.

Officials did not clarify why the proposed hike was reduced from the initial plan. “We will present the revised proposal to double the parking charges at the upcoming House meeting. Once approved, it will be implemented swiftly,” an official stated.

While other local authorities, like the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), have already raised parking fees to comply with the Graded Response Action Plan, the MCD has yet to finalize the increase.

In October, the NDMC implemented the parking fee hike as directed by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to help combat air pollution.

The MCD is awaiting the House’s approval to move forward with the increase. However, if disruptions occur during the election session, it may further delay the proposal’s implementation.

Under Stage II of GRAP, stricter measures, such as a ban on the use of coal and firewood in restaurants and restrictions on diesel generator use, have already been enforced to tackle pollution. Enhancing parking charges is another step in encouraging people to switch to public transportation, which would help alleviate the pollution levels.