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Space Management in Delhi vis-à-vis Parking

Spaces and Street Vendors

By Abhinav Tandon

Abstract

This paper looks into space management in Delhi, an issue which has come to be of

critical importance in view of the rampant development in the already congested

capital. This paper majorly looks into traffic and parking spaces, a growing cause of

concern seeing the exponential growth in the number of vehicles in the past 10 years.

The paper looks into the current policies, measures and proposals and recommends

policy changes to be incorporated in a much needed uniform transport policy.

This paper further explores the situation of street vendors who are being evicted in the

name of beautification and space crunch, robbing them of their means of livelihood.

Measures, policies and proposals as well as implemented models have been explored

and recommendations have been made to come up with a feasible solution to

accommodate the vendors.

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Acknowledgements I would like to thank Centre for Civil Society for giving me the opportunity to work on

relevant issues and get an opportunity to understand the ground reality through

numerous field visits. My sincere gratitude to Shreya Agarwal and Manoj Mathew whose

encouragement helped to come out with the paper in spite of difficulties, Mr. Mukut

Sharma, Mr. Anoop Srivastava and KSH Ramdas Singh for their whole hearted

cooperation. I would also to thank Akshay Khurana for working on renders as per

suggested ideas for this paper.

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Table of Contents

1. Introduction: Parking Space

2. Need for Transport Policy

3. Existing Measures and Flaws

4. Introduction: Street Vendors

5. Existing Policies

6. Critique to the Act

7. Proposed Model Street Vending Site

8. Recommendations: Parking Space Management

9. Recommendations: Creating spaces for street vendors

10 A Common Approach

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1. Introduction: Parking Space

A worrying trend that has emerged in utilization of public spaces in Delhi is the ever

growing demand of parking spaces required by the 1,100 vehicles being added

everyday to the already vast expanse of 5.2 million vehicles in Delhi. Reports show that

currently parking requires 45 million sq m of land and the addition of new vehicles is

generating an additional demand of 2.5 million sq m nearly 10.8 % of Delhi’s urban

area (Neha Lalchandani, 21 May 2010). The demand for parking space has overshot

the availability by nearly 3 times. In spite of this parking rates continue to remain

abysmally low. 23 sq. m. is considered an optimized area for parking a car, the rent of

which is estimated to the tune of Rs. 36,000 in prime areas though vehicle owners get

away with paying a minimal amount for the same

According to Anumita Roychowdhury, associate director, Centre for Science and

Environment (CSE) and head of CSE’s Right to Clean Air campaign:

‘The most worrying trend in Delhi is that while the technology roadmap remains

sluggish, the sheer numbers of vehicles are overpowering the change. Unbelievably, as

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much as 17 per cent of the cars in India run in Delhi alone. It has more cars than the

total numbers of cars in the individual states of Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and

West Bengal. The MCD puts the number of vehicles in Delhi to 39 lacs with the

following breakup:

Motorcycles/scooters/mopeds 25,31,056

Three-wheelers 49,516

Cars private 11,94,877

Taxis 12,992

Goods Vehicles 74,649

Others

23,524

Total 38,86,614

Along with creating a severe space crunch, parking is also emerging as a major

environmental hazard overriding any positive effects the shift to using CNG in public

transport might have had. Private vehicles currently take up 90% of road space while

catering to a very small percentage of the urban population. The pollution levels of cars

can quadruple when caught in congestion.

The unsustainable growth of motor vehicles has led to an increase in the cost of travel

for the urban poor who mostly cycle or walk to work. In the absence of proper

infrastructure pedestrians, cyclists and motorized two-wheelers continue to share road

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space with cars, buses and other motorized vehicles, the reason why they’re involved in

75% of the total fatal road traffic crashes. Buses and trucks were involved in 60% of all

fatal accidents and involved mostly pedestrians. (Tiwari, G. 2001, "Traffic Flow and

Safety: Need for New Models in Heterogeneous Traffic", In: Injury Prevention and

Control, Eds. D. Mohan & G. Tiwari, London: Taylor & Francis, pp. 71-88)

The rapid urbanization and increased migration has led to a growth in the expanse of

the city increasing the distances that people have to travel, making access of livelihood

especially difficult for the poor. But while the population of major cities increased by

about 1.9 times during 1981 to 2001, the number of motor vehicles increased by 7.75

times leading to a decrease in the average speed and an increase in traffic congestion.

This leads to the loss of billions of man hour which could have otherwise gone into

economically productive activities.

2. Need for Transport Policy

Parking management is one of the most powerful instruments to reduce travel by

personal vehicles that also influence commuting choices in favor of public transport.

Parking management when combined with appropriately priced parking, limit on parking

space and improved access through other modes of transport, it is most effective in

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stimulating the switch from private cars to alternative modes of transport. (Environment

Pollution (Control and Prevention) Authority, February 5, 2009 Briefing Paper 4)

India is a fast growing economy and examples from around the world suggest that

urbanization takes place to the tune of 60% before stabilizing. India’s urban population

is projected to grow to 473 million in 2021 hence the onus on the government is to

meet not only the present populations mobility requirements but take measures to meet

the future demand and for this purpose the government of India has launched the

National Urban Renewal Mission.

The focus of parking norms at present is on vehicles and not on people creating vast

discrepancies as road space gets allocated on a first come first serve basis with high

capacity buses losing out space to cars carrying just one or two persons. Buses

constitute only 1.2 per cent of the total number of vehicles, but cater to 60 per cent of

the total traffic load. Personal vehicles constitute more than 93 per cent of the total

number of vehicles, but cater to only around 30 per cent of the travel demand.

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(Source: Department of Transport, Government of Delhi)

There is hence a need to follow a people-centric approach in allocating road space by

reserving lanes and corridors exclusively meant for public transport and vehicles

carrying more than 3 persons known as High Occupancy Vehicle Lanes. But these would

require proper enforcement and stringent fines and provisions in the Motor Vehicles Act

to prevent misuse.

The inequitable allocation of roads also creates a problem for low income groups in

terms of higher travel time and higher travel costs. Non motorized modes of commuting

are facing a serious threat due to increased risks in safety. Statistics show that the

share of bicycle trips in Delhi has declined from 17% in 1981 to 7% in 1994.

The demand for parking space is unlimited and cannot be met by any increase in

infrastructure. Hence urban planners the world over have realized that parking is best

managed by restricting and strictly regulating it instead of creating more spaces.

A transport and parking policy should aim at utilizing the city specific features taking

into account its geographical constraints and major economic activities. It should also

take into account the future needs of the city. A policy for Delhi should broadly look into

the following:

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2.1 Residential Areas

With increase in occupancy of residential areas and with the growing trend of occupants

owning multiple cars especially in posh localities, there is a need to address residential

parking problems. Also adding to the parking woes of residential areas is the misuse of

the mixed land use policy with excessive commercialization in residential areas and

businesses operating from basements. This leads to a reduction in the parking capacity

and creates an additional demand for parking space.

2.2 Enforcement Currently parking is looked into by the Remunerative Projects Cell of the MCD. An

interview was carried out with a Parking Inspector from R.P. Cell to determine the

functioning of the department and the procedure by which parking lots are allocated

and managed. A Notice Inviting Tender (NIT) is released by the R.P. Cell and the

management of the parking lot is given to the highest bidder. The contractor to whom

the management is handed over is provided with a rough map of the area which he can

utilize for parking. A copy of the map is also sent to the SHO to enforce any parking

violations. Only around 200 parking spaces have been authorized by the MCD, but the

number of parking lots operating illegally is much more. These parking lots are run in

nexus with the enforcers from the traffic police and MCD officials, forming what is

termed as the ‘parking mafia’. Sites where these mafias are active overcharge and take

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up more than the authorized space. The procedure of cracking down on these illegally

run parking lots are passive as such. The parking inspectors act only on complaints, and

these complaints are forwarded to the SHO and an FIR is filed and the police are

expected to take actions. These parking lots are then authorized, given a legal status

and allocated to contractors after carrying out bids. Enforcement by personally making

surprise checks and field visits to identify such illegal sites, if they occur, are few and

far in between making the enforcement procedure flawed. Parking areas were earlier

handled on a zonal basis but they have recently been centralized on account of revenue

loss due to parking mafia and the onus of all parking lots in Delhi has been handed over

to the R.P. Cell, making enforcement a cumbersome task.

2.3 Restrict growth of private vehicles

The government must devise strategies that discourage the growth of privately

owned motorized vehicles by computing the carrying capacities and forming fiscal

strategies. A welcome move in this regard has been the increase in the amount of

road tax that is levied on the purchase of vehicles. As per the new norms (ET Bureau,

May 25, 2010):

For cars costing up to 6 lacs, the tax has been doubled to 4%

Cars between Rs 6-10 lacks will attract a 7% road tax

A 10% road tax will be levied on cars costing above Rs 10 lacs

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Two-wheelers costing up to Rs 25,000 will be charged the existing rate of 2%

Two-wheelers in the price range of Rs 25-40,000 will attract a road tax of 4%

Experience from cities around the world shows that a taxation policy on the

use of private vehicles also causes a shift towards public transport. But

experts feel that this tax will only affect the small car buyers. In a survey

carried out in Hyatt Regency Delhi, most employees, especially from the

lower income brackets affirmed that the increase in road tax would impact

their decision in buying a new vehicle. But the road tax in itself will not be

effective enough to stem the growth of private vehicles because even after

the hike in road tax, the costs have reduced for the customers because of

introduction of cheaper cars and easily available car loans which has let to a

drastic change of trends from a time when people used to purchase cars only

after retirement whereas now cars are bought when immediately after a

person starts working.

2.4 Parking charges and spaces

All efforts being made towards parking focus on increasing the supply of parking

and still does not consider limiting the parking spaces which would eventually limit

the number of vehicles. The parking should be so priced that it reflects the

opportunity cost of the land. While a typical parking space costs anywhere from 2-4

lacs, parking rates remain as low as Rs 10 per hour with providing hidden subsidies

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to car owners. The MCD has also proposed to levy an annual one-time parking

charge, but this will only lead to misuse of parking spaces.

3. Existing Measures and Flaws

3.1 Parking of commercial vehicles

Currently, the government charges Rs 4000 per year from each bus and other big

commercial vehicle as parking charges, which is given to MCD for use of public space –

road etc. This has meant that even as the number of buses and other commercial

vehicles will increase, there is no plan for providing parking space to these vehicles.

3.2 Public Transport

Though the government is on a right track by increasing road taxes the curb the

menace being caused by the car-boom in Delhi, the move will only act as an additional

burden on the common man if increase in taxes are not accompanied by a simultaneous

augmentation and improvement of the public transport infrastructure. An observation

from the survey was that most employees travel more than 10 kms to reach work,

some traveling about 30 kms one side.

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(Source: Independent Survey conducted at Hyatt Regency, New Delhi)

The main reasons cited by the employees for not using public transportation were:

Pick up points not close to area of residence

Mismatch in timings due to lesser frequencies

Overcrowded buses and lack of proper ventilation

Hence there exists a need to integrate public transport corridors to deliver smooth and

efficient commuting across the city. A good public transport system is one that provides

seamless travel between multiple transportation modes. This can only be achieved if:

Proper interchange infrastructure is in place

A common ticket applies to all systems

A single operator to manage all systems to ensure proper integration

Dis tanc e

Upto 5km

5 to 10km

Morethan10 kms

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3.3 Optimum Utilization of Available Space

Providing Multi-Level Parking

Over the past some years, 9 different sites have been identified for building sites on

BOT (Build, Operate, Transfer) basis. As per this, the private firms would be allowed to

manage the parking facilities for a period of 3o years keeping any revenue they earn

from the lots. They will also be allowed to reserve 20-30% space for commercial areas

to recover costs. But the progress so far has been very slow. While multi-level car park

stacks are also being used in residential areas, this trend is yet to get established in

Delhi. Anoop Srivastava, Vice President Suvidha ParkLift talked about the problems

being faced in introducing this concept to Delhi while it has caught on in other cities like

Mumbai and Kolkatta. As per him, the land rates in Mumbai have soared sky high

prompting the government to effectively manage available spaces. A car space in a

multi level car park would cost anywhere from 2-3 lacs and to recover this cost the

builders must be allowed to charge at competitive prices, but the pricing is being

controlled by MCD who want the prices to be kept nominal. The private firms, in this

case, would not be able to construct and operate these facilities. As far as introduction

of this system in residential areas is concerned, there is a need to educate people about

its safety. But installing this facility in residential areas would mean incurring a cost of

Rs 3 lacs. Maintenance service too is rather underdeveloped at present.

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(Source: Suvidha ParkLift)

Providing Underground Parking Lots

The MCD is planning to construct 15 new automated underground multi-level parking

lots which will accommodate 500-700 cars per site. But the plans require a meticulous

feasibility study to ensure that it does not disturb the surroundings.

3.4 Parking plan for important congested areas

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Identifying and removing bottlenecks in heavily congested areas. The problems have to

be handled on a case to case basis. Some examples being:

Schools and colleges, with increasingly growing numbers of private vehicles;

Public institutions, especially courts: Patiala House, Tees Hazari and High

Court;

Temples

IIC and its adjoining institutional areas

Container depot in Tuglakabad.

4. Introduction: Street Vendors

The concept of informal markets and streets vendors is centuries old in India. ‘Street

Vendor’ is defined as ‘a person who offers goods and services for sale to public without

having a permanent built-up structure’ [The National Policy on Urban Street Vendors

2009]. The concept of vendors can be further expanded to include hawkers, mobile

vendors and squatters. More than 90% of the workforce in our country is involved in

the informal sector which contributes about 63% to the country’s GDP. As per Mukut

Sharma, Program manager NASVI, out of 2, 50,000 vendors only 18,000 have legal

licenses.

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According to article 19(1) g of the Constitution the right to carry out trade or business

on street pavements, if properly regulated cannot be denied on the grounds that streets

are meant for passing and re-passing and no other use. Articles 39(a) and (b) further

mention that the State shall direct its policy so that-

(a) The citizens, men and women equally, have the right to an adequate

means of livelihood.

(b) The ownership and control of the material resources of the community

are so distributed as best to sub serve the common good.

The Supreme court ruling in Sodan Singh and others versus New Delhi Municipal

Corporation states that ,“if properly regulated according to the exigency of

circumstances, the small traders on the sidewalk can considerable add to the comfort

and convenience of the general public , by making available ordinary articles of

everyday use for a comparatively lesser price . An ordinary person, not affluent, while

hurrying towards his home after everyday’s work, can pick up these articles without

going out of the way to find a regular market.” ((1985) 3SCC 520, Sodan Singh vs.

NDMC)

The essential services provided by these street vendors cannot be ignored. They act as

very efficient and effective distribution channel between the producers and the

consumers, delivering wares to one’s doorstep at prices much lower than those in

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regular markets. Their presence ensures a larger variety to choose from at competitive

prices and signifies greater convenience for the common man. It has also been argued,

that by taking up space on roads and lanes that would otherwise have remained empty,

vendors indirectly help lowering criminal activities. Their role as micro-entrepreneurs in

helping the government combat poverty and unemployment cannot be denied.

In spite of all this, street vendors are made to go through constant humiliation and

harassment. Earlier research has reported that vendors have to pay bribes to police and

municipality officials as well as goondah as ‘protection money’ to save their goods from

getting confiscated in raids. But coughing up large amounts too does not guarantee

their safety. It has been estimated that in Delhi alone, Rs 40 crore worth of revenue is

lost in these bribes. The harassment is another reason why women do not take up

street vending as a profession, for many of whom it remains to be the only sustainable

income option. On the pretext of beautification of Delhi for the upcoming

Commonwealth games, these vendors are being robbed from their source of livelihood.

On May 25th 2010, 150 street vendors were evicted from Uttam Nagar. Reports suggest

that once denied their means of earning, many of these vendors take to thefts and

crime.

5. Existing Policies

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The primary policy recommendations in this regard come from the National Policy on

Urban Street Vendors which first came into existence in 2004 with changes being made

to it in 2006 and 2009. The policy aims to recognize the rights of the street vendors and

is a major step towards urban poverty alleviation. The Model Street Vendors (Protection

of Livelihood and regulation of street vending) Act 2009 is another initiative by the

Ministry of Poverty alleviation to ensure the livelihood of street vendors while at the

same time ensuring proper monitoring of their activities.

It is proposed that the authorities identify prospective areas that can be feasibly

converted into bending sites. It also calls for categorizing all areas on the following

basis:

Restricted free vending

Restricted vending

No vending zones

The policy also calls for no set limit on the number of vendors allowed to trade but it

suggests fixing time slots to allow maximum number of vendors to be accommodated in

a given space.

Some of the salient features are as briefly described:

5.1 Town Vending Committees

A lot of emphasis has been laid down on the formation of committees that handle

issues pertaining to street vendors locally. The acts call for formation of town vending

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committees (TVC) which would largely include representatives of street vendors along

with members from RWA’s, Market Associations, Trader’s Associations, police and

municipal and planning authorities.

These committees are to look into the allocation and management of spaces, the

monitoring of the street vendors and address any grievances and complaints.

5.2 Registration Process for the street vendors

The registration of the street vendors is to be carried out by the town vending

committees. The vendors will be issued Identity Cards containing the following details:

Photographs of the husband and wife

Name of any one nominee from the family

Names of other members in the family (may be used for health or other social

security programme)

Nature of business

Children below 14 years would not be allowed in the card for conduct of

business.

5.3 Duties of local authority

Overall supervision of scheme of vendors

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Monitoring functioning of Town Vending Committees

Granting renewal, suspension or cancellation of licenses

Providing civil amenities like water, electricity, storage, toilets in consultation

with TVC

Photo census of the street vendors in collaboration with the TVC

Working out the manner of collecting fees

Maintaining and updating the database on street vendors

5.4 Duties of planning authority

Determining spatial planning norms

Earmark vending zones in accordance with the master plan

Demarcate vending zones

6. Critique to the act

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It is argued that due to various clauses in the National Policy for Urban Street Vendors,

the policy fails to protect the rights and livelihood of the urban street vendors making

them more vulnerable to harassment.

According to a perspective provided by Madhu Kishwar from Manushi, there exist

various flaws in the manner the government has come up with the policy.

The MCD has fixed a limit on the number of street vendors to 300,000.

Considering that this number grows as the pressure of population of Delhi grows,

the MCD does not define a clear method of identifying, selecting and eliminating

the excess street vendors. The MCD and NDMC in the last 30 years have issued

only 3000 tehbazaris as compared to nearly 100,000 who applied in 1993 under

the Gainda Ram Scheme. A procedure on how the genuine vendors will be

identified from the many ‘benami’ applications is also not defined.

There is a huge gap between the number of vendors being issued licenses and

the total space that has been allocated for them. While the MCD will issue

300,000 licenses, the total space earmarked can only accommodate 30,000

street vendors.

The policy requires hat vending zones should be created in close proximity to

already existing natural markets which is not the case with the earmarked

hawking zones.

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The National Policy identifies street food as essential and a necessity for the poor

and sections of middle class. But the MCD has taken permission to get the

Supreme Court to ban street food. The ban will not result in abolishment of

street food but will lead to an increase in the corruption and bribery.

A provision for controlling the timings of street vending is also in place which

would lead to more harassment for vendors.

In issuing licenses to the street vendors, it has been decided to give preference

to vendors who have been in the profession for a considerable period of time. As

a proof of eligibility, the vendors will have to furnish details of fines and challans.

Earlier evidence, from the time of the Gainda Ram Scheme, cites that fake copies

of challans can be procured by paying very heavy bribes making the system of

weeding out the genuine from the benami very faulty.

An income ceiling of Rs 45,000 per annum has been put into place, above which

a person will not be permitted to indulge in street vending. Considering the

abject poverty many of these vendors are subjected to and the mouths they

have to feed while taking into account the pressures of living in an urban area, a

revision of this cap is required.

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7. Proposed Model Street Vending Site

7.1 Proposal for INA Market

With the aim of transforming Delhi into a world class city while at the same

timing maintaining its distinct culture and ensure livelihood for the street

vendors, the MCD is coming up with a street vending site in INA market which is

to act as a model for any further projects. As a pilot project, the INA vendor site

will accommodate roughly 173 street vendors, The INA site is being constructed,

operated and managed through a joint public-private partnership basis. The

bidders have to form a consortium and take up all jobs as per the tender

released by the MCD. An example of one such consortium that has filed a bid will

better illustrate the nature of the consortium:

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(Source: NASVI, renders for INA market proposal)

NASVI (National Association of Street Vendors of India): will coordinate all the

member of the consortium and will facilitate the whole project. NASVI having

collaboration with designers and suppliers of Kiosk will also provide the vendors

the kiosk. NASVI has also worked in the Bhubhaneshwara relocation project and

will apply their expertise in the INA project

DDSSS (Darbhanga District Sulabh Shauchalaya Sansthan): DDSSS is a non-

profit voluntary social organization having expertise in making world class toilet.

DDSSS will construct the proposed toilet at INA on design, built, own, operate,

maintain and transfer basis.

Maharishi Solar Technology (P) Limited: Will install solar panels as per MCD

approved design

NIDAN: Nidan’s micro finance program will help vendors to provide easy loan in

order to procure the Kiosk.

Akshey Events: It will take up civil construction assignments.

Anagram Architect as External Consultant: will work as an external consultant of

NASVI and Akshey Events for providing the design of the kiosk and the civil work

involved. The proposed design of the market and the Kiosk has already been

incorporated in the Technical Proposal.

Private Members

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Civil work- laying paver blocks, footpaths

Public Amenities- Eco Toilets, Storage Rooms, Water, Dustbins, Information

Boards and Billboards

Manufacturing tehbazari kiosks as per designs approved by MCD

The Eco- Toilets are to be taken up by private firms on a DBOOM (Design, Build, Own, Operate,

Maintain, and Transfer) basis whereby the firm earns from charges for using the toilet and any

advertisement on its premise.

The construction of footpath, lying of paver blocks, solar stations, Installation of CCTV,

construction of locker rooms, billboards are on an Item Rate basis.

Vendors

Carts and kiosks are self-financed and the vendor has to take full responsibility and

adhere to the standards as per MCD norms.

Authorities

MCD takes responsibility of the civil work such as sanitation and water supply. It also

earns from any advertisement on the kiosks or anywhere within the site.

7.2 Implementation in Bhubhaneshwara

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Bhubhaneshwara has come with a model vendors market, a project for which the B.M.C

has been awarded. It successfully achieves the dual purpose of ensuring livelihood for

the street vendors while at the same time ensuring beautification of the city. They have

now gone a step ahead in providing the vendors with various social benefit schemes

and plans to bring about a radical change in their lives.

A systematic procedure was followed in setting up these vendor zones:

A survey to identify determine the number of vendors conducted by civic body

along with street vendors association

B.M.C. identifies then earmarks a zone for relocating the vendors in consultation

with planning and police.

B.M.C. informs hawkers to move to earmarked locations and clears all

encroachments

Vendors are permitted to construct temporary sheds from recycled bamboos.

The functioning is observed for a period of 6 months after which, if successful,

allowed converting to iron sheets. This is financed by advertisement agencies

which used the space for its commercial activities.

The vendors who are allocated space are provided with photo ID cards for

proper identification.

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There are 53 such zones established all over Bhubhaneshwara some catering to specific

requirements such as flowers and non-vegetarian food. The advantages of this project

have been manifold:

Organized informal hawkers into vending zones providing them identity and

stability

Public land is now free from encroachment and can be put to other use

With the inclusion of private sector B.M.C. can now earn extra revenue with no

initial investment

Since the locations are convenient and in close proximity to housing complexes,

it reduces the use of vehicles

Successfully managed to secure the livelihood of vendors while achieving

beautification and saving precious energy

8. Recommendations: Parking Space Management

There are various measures that need to be taken into consideration simultaneously to curb the

menace of parking. Parking space is also a problem that is best solved on a case-to-case basis

depending on the area.

8.1 Pricing

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As mentioned earlier, land has become a precious commodity in all urban areas and the

land occupied by vehicles should be no exception to this. The parking rates should be

brought to near parity rates and the rates should be kept variable so that they reflect

the price of land and peak demand congestion in the area. Currently the parking in

Delhi is handled by one of the three major bodies- NDMC, MCD and DDA and the onus

of coming up with a well designed parking fee structure lies on them. It is estimated

that parking rates should be Rs 30-40 for an hour to realize costs but they continue to

remain as low as Rs 10.

According to KSH Ramdas Singh, Transport Planner- Engineer and Planning Consultant

(EPC), the authorities should make efforts to encourage long term parking while charge

heavily for short term parking. Similarly entry of private vehicles in important business

areas at peak hours must be charged heavily to discourage the use of private transport,

a model followed in London.

Another way to realize parking costs would be to encourage unbundled parking.

Currently all vehicles are taxed a ‘nigh parking charge’ on purchase. Similarly all

commercial vehicles are charged an annual amount of Rs 4000 as parking charges. In

many residential areas too, the parking charges are bundles with the maintenance

charges. This gives the vehicle owners a wrong sense of notion to violate parking norms

and undermines the actual opportunity cost of the land. By separating parking charges

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from the building maintenance charges a lot more flexibility can be provided in terms of

charging people more or less based on the space occupied.

In residential areas the builders must plan for parking beforehand and provide more

than adequate space. But in providing space for residential areas the question that first

needs to be answered is how much space is actually adequate? Some planners believe

that space must be provided as per the number of master rooms in the apartment while

some argue that it must depend on the requirement and the number of working people

in the family. An increase in the commercial activities in the commercial has further

added to the parking woes. Though an appropriate number of spaces is difficult to

allocate, a way out would be to implement a parking price model that charges more for

every additional car a family owns. Further the charges should be kept higher for outside

vehicles.

8.2 Cycles and Pedestrians

The urban poor, which comprises of a large part of a city’s population primarily rely on

non-motorized modes of commuting namely walking and cycling. But it is this stratum

of society that has to pay the highest cost in terms of safety and risk. Hence there

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exists a need to improve the existing infrastructure to better support and encourage

cyclists and pedestrians. Along with providing the infrastructure, importance must also

be given to enforcing unlawful or unplanned encroachments on their space. This is cited

as one of the major objectives of the National Urban Renewal Mission (NURM). There is

a need to identify areas that can be developed in such a way that it exclusively or

otherwise encourages the use of non-motorized means of transport. Congested areas

such as Chandni Chowk and Lajpat Nagar should be developed as ‘pedestrians only’ or

‘cycle/rickshaw only’ zones with parking for motor vehicles restricted to the fringes of

the area. For these areas, a provision to rent bicycles can be looked into connecting

them to metro stations and bus depots to provide seamless transport. Such a system

currently exists in DU’s North Campus and with proper planning it can be enforced in

other areas which experience high pedestrian densities.

8.3 Enforcement

As per the inputs received from the R.P. Cell, there is a dire need for active

enforcement of parking norms to prevent unauthorized parking as well as to crack down

on the ‘parking mafias’. A major problem in enforcement is seen to be corruption in the

enforcers which is clearly evident when people are let off for paying minor bribes for

traffic and parking violations. Steps that can be taken in this regard:

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Surprise visits by R.P.Cell to detect whether the traffic police are honestly

enforcing traffic norms

Extensive use of technology ensures prim and proper enforcement of norms.

Installing CCTV cameras to monitor activities or putting in place systems that

detect registration numbers of defaulters and sends traffic bills directly to their

homes.

Other innovative use of technology whereby fines are directly deducted from a

designated account meant for traffic and parking norms.

A project that should be taken up for consideration would be the installation of

parking meters for better realization of fines and time restrictions on parking

In Germany the tickets to all major events are accompanied by a public transport

pass

Parking problems in residential areas can be best tackled by local bodies and RWAs and

the responsibility of proper enforcement must be shared with them.

8.4 Public Transport

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The DDA in its master plan 2020 envisages establishing linkages between

residential areas and place of work and promoting mass transport. As per the survey

conducted and general observation, most people travel distances as great as 30kms to

reach their place of work. Hence make public transportation more popular, there is a

need to seamlessly connect areas using transport corridors that facilitate multiple

modes of transport. This also encompasses the use of remote parking and shuttle

service for highly congested areas. This involves designating offsite parking spaces,

wherever they may be available and providing transit services to the main business

area. This practice is demonstrated in the India International Centre Area which

provides pick up points for all employees around the main centre.

KSH Ramdas Singh, Transport Planner EPC, feels that instead of criticizing the

BRT system people must look at its merits. While the lanes adjacent to the corridor

remain jam packed, people plying via the BRT corridors experience a reduction in

congestion by as much as 30%. Similar initiatives must be undertaken such as

implementing High Occupancy Vehicle Lanes which promotes car pooling. Similarly to

promote commuting by metros, programs such as bicycle rental or planned availability

of cycle rickshaws must be looked into, to save commuters time and money. While

many such measures, such as providing pick up points for metros, are in existence

there remains a need to increase the frequency of such services and clearly demarcate

pick up points to facilitate the commuters.

8.5 Public Cooperation

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The problem of traffic and parking is not merely related to the prosperity but also the

psyche of Delhites. Possession of vehicles is seen as a status symbol rather than a

necessity. In Mumbai it is common to see executives and directors traveling by the local

trains, something hard to imagine in Delhi. Hence there is a need to motivate people to

take up public transport. Some ways in which this can be achieved in organizations is:

The parking system, as observed in Hyatt Regency Delhi, allows only limited parking

spaces for employees on a preferential designation based system. This restricts the

number of employees using private means to commute for the lack of safe parking

spaces

A part of the travelling allowance should be given as ‘public transport allowance’

whereby remuneration is provided against tickets issues by public transport

systems

Providing remuneration or ‘petrol/gas vouchers’ to employees who car-pool

Efforts to motivate employees to take up public transportation must follow a top-

down approach. The top level management could switch to public transport on

8.6 Optimum utilization of existing space

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According to Anoop Srivastava, Vice President Suvidha Park Lift, there is a need to

educate developers and planners on different types of multilevel parking solutions

available. For example, a project being planned with two basements in a total of 6

meters below the ground to park a total of 100 cars will be able to accommodate close

to 150 cars in only one basement of a height of 5.5 meters with a 3-level puzzle parking

system. The local authorities must do their bit by making relaxing the approval

processes, bylaws, FAR and fire norms.

Commercial places must go in for a shared parking model rather than reserved spaces.

Offices, restaurants and theaters can share parking spaces since the peak demands of

these buildings vary. Parking amongst destinations can be shared by providing more

space for offices during weekdays and more space for malls and other recreational

centers on weekends. In cases where the parking facilities are at some distance, park

and ride facilities should be provided to compliment the parking facilities.

.

8.7 Electronic Road Pricing System and Electronic Parking System

KSH Ramdas Singh believed that the EPS is the future of parking and traffic

problems. The ERP was introduced successfully in Singapore in 1998. All vehicles are

36

equipped with an in-vehicle unit (IU) that can send and receive radio frequency

signals. Using these in-vehicle technologies and EPS was developed that enables

settlement of parking fees without parking tickets and fines. Road tax for business

areas and other commercially important areas is also charged electronically. Shifting

to a technology based system would lead to a better realization of parking fees,

reduce dependence on man power and curb illegal activities of the parking mafia.

8.8 Financing Projects

Alongside traditional ways to finance parking and traffic projects an innovative way

would be to look at the initiative of the Metro Manila Development Authority, Philippines

which has launches the ‘Bus Reduction Project’. Under this project the MMDA will use

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to identify unregistered buses and

detect traffic violations.

This project will help MMDA to detect buses prohibited from plying and will lead to a

reduction in the number of such buses which will reduce the overall carbon emission.

The carbon emission reduction credits shall then be sold to industrialized nations via the

World Bank on the international ‘carbon market’. According to the World Bank, the

amount of carbon credit purchased will amount to approximately 364,000 Euros. This is

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an innovative model to get funding for our own projects that aim at reducing carbon

emissions via reduction in congestion and increase in public transport usage.

8.9 Para-Transit

It fills the gap that cannot be otherwise filled by public or private transport. These

include occasional trips or trips undertaken due to emergencies where it is not feasible

to wait for public transport. Para-transit is generally not used for regular commuting

trips but it has substituted for public transportation where its quality has deteriorated.

9. Recommendations: Creating spaces for street vendors

Based on the success of the model in Bhubhaneshwara, the MCD has earmarked

zones where it plans to come up with Model Street Vending Sites, the first of

which will come up in INA market. These markets will come up as a joint public-

private and community venture. The kiosks will be self financed by the vendors

and the design of the kiosks shall be as per MCD designated standards. The eco

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toilets shall be constructed by private players on a BOT basis. The civil works

shall be looked into by the government authorities. The INA market will

accommodate 173 vendors and based on its success this model will be further

implemented in different zones.

Street vendors facilitate access of goods and consumer products by acting as an

efficient distribution channel between the producers and the consumers

delivering services at people’s doorsteps saving them trips to markets and

delivering goods at a price far lesser than that in established markets. As per the

Suvidha proposal, a kiosk will cost vendors an approximate amount of Rs 40,000.

While vendors prospering in the sale of items such as fruits and vegetables will

be able to afford relocation, small time vendors such as water sellers who make

Rs 200-300 a day will be unable to afford such a payment .With this in mind,

demarcating vending zones will reduce their outreach and also lead to an

increase in prices. The vending zones are also bound by limits and can only

accommodate a certain number of vendors leaving out many others. The

beautification of the city and ensuring their livelihood must go hand in hand.

The essential nature of the services provided by street vendors to the common

man cannot be denied. Hence designating space for vendors is as essential as

designating parking spaces in a township. Upcoming townships must have

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designated vendor areas managed and monitored by the residential authorities

that regulate the quality of the goods and allow vendors as per demand by

charging a fee for the space provided.

To accommodate a larger number of vendors and to bring in more variety,

timings must be regulated to allow for rotation of vendors.

The concept of town halls prevalent in many countries can be adopted in

community centers to provide a feasible and secure place to vendors.

A detailed area wise survey must be conducted to determine various aspects

related to street vending in the area- their numbers, nature of services provided,

the time since they’ve been vending, revenue generated, target customers. The

responsibility of such surveys should be given to locally situated firms and

agencies regulated by municipal authorities, NGOs to ensure a transparent

process

40

The result of these surveys must be analyzed to determine the demand for the

services provided and the carrying capacity of the street/area so as to not cause

any congestion related problems.

A database of vendors must be maintained by the local authority carrying out the

survey. The vendors must be then evaluated on factors such as time duration

since they’ve been in the profession, demand for their services, revenue

generated, number of mouths to feed, sustainability of livelihood, vending

practices and familiarity with the locals. It is important to get a feedback about

the vendors from people local to the area.

Based on the following data, a decision must be taken on the vendors that can

be allowed to practice their profession in the given street/area. It must be

realized that vendors are found on many streets and lanes because there is a

demand for their services there.

As such an ideal measure would be creation of ‘vendor curbs’- a small area

designated on the road sides to facilitate vendors. As in Bhubaneshwara,

temporary set up using bamboo must be put up for a considerable period, say 6

months, and all trends must be observed. Studies must then be undertaken to

41

determine improvements in congestion and improvement in livelihood of

vendors. On positive outcomes, the temporary establishments can be turned into

permanent structures. Care must be taken to ensure availability of public toilets

in streets where these curbs are situated.

To look after the funding and infrastructure provisions for these spaces, the

government should consider going in for a joint partnership with private firms and

NGOs. There are several ways in which this can be accomplished.

Stipulating corporate and firms to utilize part of the taxes paid in such projects

that generate livelihood. The government authorities must regularly monitor the

spending in these projects to ensure accountability.

Large corporate can take up such projects as a part of their corporate social

responsibility or in lieu of tax rebates on such projects. According to S. Patnaik,

CSR head of Vedanta, corporate generally invest in projects that aim at

improving the living conditions of the people around them. In taking up such

projects they would further strive to create a comprehensive package for street

vendors that would include education for their children, provision of easy loans

to help them expand and access to insurance policies. But though private firms

would be willing to fund such projects they would require the ground work

handling and technical expertise to come from other agencies and NGOs.

42

(Source: Akshay Khurana, student at School of Planning and Architecture, based on

above ideas)

Licensing of street vendors would lead to multiple of problems:

Lesser licenses than demand

Illegal trading of licenses

43

Only the person in possession of a license can vend, leaving his/her family

helpless in case of sickness or unavailability of the licensee.

Limits the growth opportunities of the vendors

Instead of licensing, a registration should be carried out by the local bodies assigned

by the municipal authorities. This registration must include details such as photos,

number of dependents and the person who can vend on the vendor’s behalf in case

of unavailability. The registration process must ensure that no person below the age

of 14 is allowed to vend.

A grievance redressal body should be incorporated, where complaints can be lodged

against bodies assigned to carry out surveys and registration in case of

discrimination. The role of civil society becomes very important in ensuring this

transparency.

10. A Common Approach

44

Incorporating a body along the lines of the Miami Parking Authority for managing

parking spaces and extending its role to creating spaces for street vendors. This

body will be responsible for acquiring new spaces and manage existing spaces

under its jurisdiction by means of pricing, enforcement and technological

advancements. The model as applied to parking spaces can be as effectively

applied to providing area for street vendors.

The Authority manages and develops on and off street parking and identifies

areas for vending zones and curbs. It works with the police for enforcement of

parking regulations

It acts as a self-sustaining and self-financing agency, funding its operations by

the revenue generated by the parking lots and garages it manages as well as the

rents paid by the street vendors who are allocated the area under the authority

The revenue generated will be used to fund debt service on its bonds, which are

issued to finance the development and construction of new facilities

Parking rates and rental for vendors’ spaces will be reviewed periodically by the

Delhi government

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This body should also crackdown on parking mafias and by bringing vending

sites under its jurisdiction; it can prevent the harassment and bribes that the

vendors have to suffer.

The authority will meet the space requirement by developing areas not

economically feasible for the private sector or areas which lack sufficient

operators so as to keep pricing competitive.

It will also collaborate with public and private agencies and residential areas

whereby it shall manage parking and vendor spaces for a fee.

References

S.No. Bibliography

46

1.

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2006/04/increasing_numb.html

2. http://www.urbanindia.nic.in/policies/TransportPolicy.pdf

3. http://www.mcdonline.gov.in/generalinfodetail.php?id=1&type=1

4. http://www.indianexpress.com/news/multilevel-parking-to-come-up-in-west-

delhi/583017/

5. http://www.drcog.org/documents/Parking%20Management.pdf

6.

http://old.cseindia.org/AboutUs/press_releases/elements_parking%20policy.pdf

7.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miami_Parking_Authority

8. http://www.pps.org/the-benefits-of-public-markets/

9. http://mhupa.gov.in/w_new/StreetPolicy09.pdf

10. http://cmao.nic.in/Bestpractices/Best%20Practices%20Vending%20Zones%20-

%20Low%20Carbon%20Society.pdf

11. http://mhupa.gov.in/w_new/StreetVendorsBill.pdf

12. http://www.mcdonline.gov.in/Press/INA%20Mkt.%20new.pdf