New car buyers have to produce parking space certificate in future

You may not be allowed to register your new car or any other vehicle unless you produce proof that you have adequate parking space for it, according to a rule that the Centre is looking at introducing in future.

According to reports, Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu has expressed keen interest in pushing for the proposal and is also is in talks with the surface transport minister.

The proposal is being mulled to decongest roads in cities with almost all metros and even Tier I and II cities facing acute space crunch for parking as well as traffic congestion.

Urban transport experts have welcomed the intention, but it will be tough implementing such a proposal. First, registration of vehicles is done by state transport departments, but municipal bodies deal with parking issues. Moreover, barring people to buy new vehicles should ideally be preceded with making efficient public transport available.

There is a widely-held opinion amongst experts and environmentalists alike that along with this proposal, the government also needs to take other steps – improve public transport, hike parking charges, and levy steep charges for using private vehicles in congested areas, as well as increasing interest rates for car loans.

These measures are not new; many countries are adopting such restrictions to discourage car ownership in metropolitan cities. But what makes it successful abroad is an effective public transport system which India certainly lacks, as well as the massive population of our country.

ALSO READ: Just order at Snapdeal and get Rs 2000 cash at your doorstep