Restrain parking demand for clean air

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has sent an advisory to all urban local bodies (ULB) in Delhi and National Capital Region (NCR) to implement ward-wise parking management area plans (PMAP) along with rationalised parking charges. This takes forward the only vehicle restraint policy in place to disincentivise personal vehicle usage in this region. 

This April 26 CAQM communiqué seeks compliance by August 30, 2024 to abate air pollution by controlling the “abnormally large number of vehicles in Delhi and NCR”. This action follows the recommendation of the Clean Air Policy of the CAQM, which in turn takes on board a series of related policy developments preceding it.

It takes note of the Delhi Maintenance and Management of Parking Rules 2019 and related guidelines that were notified by the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) in 2019.

Read more: Delhi notifies first-ever parking rules to restrain vehicle use, cut air pollution

It has drawn attention to the Supreme Court of India ruling of August 10, 2020, directing five ULBs of Delhi and all ULBs and concerned authorities with the NCR to frame a detailed, comprehensive parking plan.

In fact, the SC ruling of August 2020, while responding to the report of the erstwhile Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA), additionally directed implementation of three pilot PMAP projects in Lajpat Nagar, Kamla Nagar and Krishna Nagar in Delhi as per the guidelines adopted. After the successful implementation of these pilots, the ambit of the ruling was expanded to include the entire NCT and NCR.

Getting the design right

While this new step of CAQM builds the momentum for this very critical and the only of its kind policy in place to restrain vehicle usage, it is necessary that the ULBs get the objective and the design of the PMAP right.

The template of this intervention needs to be consistent with the “demand management principles” as underscored by the CAQM Clean Air Policy, the previous SC ruling and the rules adopted by the GNCTD.

This is fundamentally different from the conventional approach of only finding more space to provide parking and hoping to manage supply. This disregards the fact that parking demand is insatiable and abundant free or low priced parking only fans more vehicle usage and motorisation.

Read more: Take a decision on draft parking rules, Supreme Court tells Delhi govt

What is expected?

Under this new approach, ULBs are expected to identify contiguous areas in a ward as a PMAP zone. Carry out surveys to map all street activities and the nature of parking demand and accumulation in that zone. Accordingly, demarcate potential legal parking areas — both on-street and off-street — on the ground.

While doing this exercise, they will have to ensure that footpaths, green areas and road stretches close to intersections are protected from parking and one lane is kept free from encroachment for emergency vehicles to pass on congested roads.

The same plan will provide for parking spillover from special events and promote shared use of parking facilities between different land-uses to maximise asset utilisation.

Contrary to the usual practice, the multi-level parking structures cannot be planned and built in isolation and in the absence of the PMAPs. Its need — if at all — will be decided by the PMAP.

To this will be added the variable parking pricing to vary according to peak and non-peak hours, by the hour for on-street parking, short term on-street vs long term off-street, night time vs day time, etc. The purpose is to use pricing to influence parkers’ choices in such a way that it reduces car trips while managing parking demand in a more organised way.

Read more: EPCA comes out with parking management plan for Delhi

The combination of a variable pricing strategy, well-organised demarcated legal parking slots that cap the available legal parking by design, and penalty on illegal parking, can act as vehicle restraint and disincentive.

This influences car users to take a range of decisions, as is evident and documented globally. They combine trips to reduce several individual car trips, avoid peak time, share cars, opt for cheaper parking areas off-street, use auto, taxi, shared transport and public transport, park and ride or simply reduce parking duration.

PMAP benefits everyone

While this strategy may sound restrictive, it actually has public appeal. Well managed legal parking facilities — on-street and off-street — prevent chaotic spill-over of parking from neighbouring areas, have organised visitor parking, and vehicle owners can get advanced and reliable information about the availability of parking and avoid wasting time finding parking.

Non-car users get well protected and barrier-free footpaths, improved access to public transport and services, improved roadside visibility and more freed up public spaces for other essential services.

Read more: Revision in Delhi’s parking rates is a positive step

A significant appeal lies in the legal requirement of setting aside a part of the augmented parking revenue for local area improvement in the same PMAP zone, which builds public support.

And not to miss the potential opportunity to reduce parking related crime rates. In fact, the August 2020 SC ruling acknowledged how the social fabric of neighbourhoods was “being torn asunder because of fights over this most petty issue of parking vehicles.”

Where did this all start?

This new CAQM advisory is helping to build momentum for a long-drawn effort to get a parking policy as a demand management measure implemented in Delhi-NCR.

This originated in the observations of the SC way back in 2006, when it sought a parking policy as a demand management measure and EPCA observed that parking for personal vehicles cannot be considered a public good. Users should pay and parking should not be subsidised.

At the same time, the National Urban Transport Policy 2006 sought parking as a restraint measure to limit the availability of parking spaces and levy high parking fees to curb the use of personal motor vehicles.

In 2014, the lieutenant governor-led committee in Delhi observed that parking management districts were needed for optimal use of scarce public land, prioritisation of pedestrians, cyclists and users of mass public transit, emergency vehicles, differently abled persons, paratransit and non-motorised vehicles over personalised motor vehicles and parking management strategies on “user pays” principle.

Read more: Need parking policy to entitle every citizen to dignified life, says Supreme Court

Subsequently, the transit-oriented development (TOD) policy that was issued by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs hinges on capping of private vehicle parking in TOD zones, which are up to 800 metres around metro stations or transit nodes.

The Delhi Master Plan 2040 has gone a step further to seek capping and lowering of parking spaces in TOD zones while implementing PMAPs and adopting a public transport accessibility index to classify neighbourhoods.

I still recall how the SC ruling of August 10, 2020 provided a definitive legal and constitutional backing to parking strategy as a clean air action.

The ruling upheld the principle that a proper parking policy will lead to less pollution, less crime and a better and more dignified life, which every citizen is entitled to under Article 21 of the Constitution of India.