Thinking of a second car? Think again
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Thinking of a second car? Think again

Owning a second or a third car for residents of housing societies may become a challenge, as Centre hints at the future possibility of making parking-space certificate a prerequisite for vehicle ownership.

Thinking of a second car? Think again

Residents of group housing societies and other highrises may find it difficult to own a new vehicle if the government decides to make parking-space certificate mandatory for vehicle registration in future.  

On December 22, during a press conference, Union urban development minister M Venkaiah Naidu declared that in future it might become necessary for cars to provide a parking space certificate. He added that the move was aimed at reducing congestion on the roads.

Most of the housing societies in the city are already facing parking-space crunch. Residents in rented accommodations are worse off, as they are often forced to park on the roads, owing to lack of enough space within the society premises.

The societies that were developed 15-20 years back hardly have space to develop new parking slots. Hence, only residents are allowed to park their cars within the society -- and that too, just one.

Very few societies allow a second parking slot. The managing committees charge for the second one. City Spidey learnt that over time managing committees of housing societies developed their own rules and charges for a second slot. A Delhi High Court ruling in 2015 allowed managing committees to charge for a second parking.   

BK Singh, president of East End Apartments in Mayur Vihar Phase 1 Extension, told City Spidey one slot is allotted per flat, and the owner has already paid for it.

“We have 600 car parking spots in the basement and around 1,000 on the ground floor. But the number of cars is way more! In the last few years, parking space has become a challenge for the managing committees. Now, on an average, each flat has three cars. If the central rule comes into force, we will not allow residents to have more than one parking spot. Preference will be given to those who are first-time owners,” Singh said.

When asked whether the society is planning to develop more parking slots, Singh said, “We have no space left to develop extra parking space.”           

Sanjeev Jayaswal, president of Niraman Apartments, felt that the central government's proposed rule is neither practical nor justified. He explained, "The city's shoddy public transport is responsible for the rise in the number of cars. Private transport has become a basic need, and can no longer be called a luxury."

He added, “Is it possible to stop people from owning a car? Definitely no. If the government implements the rule, then it should also provide better public transport. Travelling on DTC buses can be tough, especially for women and senior citizen. Metro is already overcrowded, and a lot of areas are still not covered by it.”

NP Radhkrishnan, president of Samachar Apartments, said, “The number of cars is increasing by the year. It has become a challenge for the managing committee to provide slots. We have limited space inside the society, while the area outside comes under the PWD and the municipal corporation, where parking is not allowed."