Parking up the wrong street

Again in April, he wrote to SHO Defence colony of the road block erected illegally on the road by placing boulders and carving out a parking lot but nothing has been done.

8220;The traders can manage the parking better if it is handed over to them. But the authorities do not want to interfere and improve the situation,8221; laments a NDSE part -II trader.

The problem is the same everywhere. Rupees seven at Bhikaji Cama place, Rs 10 at the New Delhi South Extension market. And nowhere is a parking price board erected. The parking lots are charging at will and there is nobody to check them.

Starved for fresh air, Delhiites, especially those living in south Delhi rush for a whiff of clean air to the Nehru Park in the Diplomatic Enclave. And only the tough talking regulars are spared the Rs 10 parking fee in what till the other day used to be free parking all around the Nehru Park.

S.S. Rao, director enforcement said that they had put up free parking boards but the lot attendants covered it with posters. 8220;Nobody should pay at Nehru Park. It is a free parking. But we shall conduct raids more frequently,8221; he said.

The problem, however, is all pervasive: be it Lajpat Nagar, where the police have unofficially authorised a parking lot to ensure smooth flow of traffic on the narrow two-lane road, or Karol Bagh market, where the association has authorised people to ensure cars are properly parked to avoid traffic snarls.At Karol Bagh market, a group of youth have taken over the business in select areas and help park cars in by lanes in residential pockets. The Karol Bagh police are happy, so long as traffic movement is smooth.

8220;We have told the Municipal Corporation of Delhi MCD many a times to float tenders and give out parking lots in every market block. The number of cars in Delhi is swelling. But they never react. They keep saying they will do something. So shopkeepers have taken care of the problem. We have no clue how much money they make. Rs 10 or Rs 10 lakh. It is all theirs,8221; a senior police official said.

But is it possible that the local police have no stakes in the lucrative pie ? 8220;If the beat constable or the division officer takes a cup of tea. Will you grudge him even that ? And not say anything to the MCD officials who choose to turn a blind eye to the problems of millions of residents of Delhi everyday,8221; he added.

Who is in charge of parking lots in the MCD ? 8220;K.J. Chowdhary,8221; said an official at MCD commissioner V.K. Duggal8217;s office. Chowdhary, however, remained locked in meetings and was unavailable for comment today.