Chandigarh rolls out new parking rates, be ready to shell out more if paying in cash

The go-ahead to the new slab rates was given by UT Administrator Banwarilal Purohit on Thursday. These rates shall be chargeable at all parking lots run by Municipal Corporation, officials clarified.

According to the notification, commuters will get the first 20 minutes of free pick and drop at 84 parking lots in Chandigarh out of the total 89. The other parking lots, adjacent to malls, will have separate charges and will not have the free pick and drop provision.

Charges for two-wheelers

Two-wheelers, across all parking lots, will now have to pay Rs 7 for the first four hours after the 20 minutes free parking. For two-wheelers being parked for 4 hours to 8 hours, the charges will be Rs 10 and an Rs 5 will be levied on for every hour post 8 hours.

Charges for four-wheelers

Meanwhile, four-wheelers will have to pay Rs 14 for parking up to 4 hours (after the free parking for the first 20 minutes). For parking a four-wheeler for more than 4 hours and up to 8 hours, the charges will be Rs 20 while an additional Rs 10 per hour will be levied for parking beyond 8 hours.

A day’s pass for multiple entries can be taken for Rs 50 at the parking lots that are not near the malls.

Parking rates outside malls

To park outside Elante Mall and Fun Republic, the parking lots of which are managed by the civic body, a car owner will be charged Rs 70 for the first four hours (0 to 240 minutes) and Rs 130 for more than 4 hours up to 8 hours. Then an additional Rs 20 shall be charged per hour.

For four wheelers near Piccadily Mall, Rs 50 shall be charged for the first four hours and then Rs 70 from 4 hours to 8 hours and Rs 20 additionally for every hour after that.

The slab rates have been introduced to facilitate circulation of vehicles and optimum utilisation of parking space, the officials of the Union Territory administration said.

Chandigarh Municipal Corporation Commissioner Anindita Mitra, while speaking to The Indian Express, said, “The management of the parking lots shall be tendered out this month.”

Till the time the new smart parking comes into force, Rs 7 for two-wheelers and Rs 14 for four-wheelers, the existing rates shall be charged, officials clarified.

The tender allotment shall take around two months and the smart parking implementation will take some more time to come into effect. The exact date is yet to be given by the civic body.

Underground parking lots incentivized

Due to acute shortage of parking space and for optimal utilisation of parking spaces in the city, parking in underground facilities, wherever available, has been incentivized by charging Rs 5 less than the surface parking rates for the corresponding category.

To encourage use of digital payment and discourage cash payment, cash payments have been de-incentivized at Rs 5 for all categories of vehicles in all slabs. “This shall also go a long way in bringing transparency and prevent corrupt practices by vendors and the parking staff,” the civic body said.

Monthly passes have also been introduced at minimal rates of Rs 300 per month for underground parking and Rs 400 for surface parking and the slab rates and other components shall be applicable only after implementation of smart parking in the city. Till then, the present rates shall continue, said officials.

No extra charge for non-Tricity residents

As per the decision taken by the administrator, no extra charges shall be payable by citizens from outside the Tricity area.

This was a reversal of the decision taken by the general house last year which stated that the non-Tricity vehicles shall pay double the parking charge in each slab.