No car if no parking space - Centre plans to introduce new norms

New Delhi: In a move aimed at freeing public space and reducing pollution, the Centre is mulling to bring a new rule which will restrict people from buying and registering new cars if they can't furnish proof of having adequate parking space for their vehicles.

The road transport department has welcomed such a move, according to a Times of India report.

"I am very keen on this. I am talking to the surface transport minister and also sensitising the states. We would be moving in that direction," Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu was quoted as saying on Thursday.

'If such a proposal comes from the Urban Development Ministry, it would be considered, a road transport ministry official said. 

"Space crunch for parking and congestion in cities are big concerns. We're serious about de-congestion of roads," he added.

Though transport experts have welcomed the intention, but they are sceptical about its effective implementation. 

Citing reasons for this, they claim that the registration of vehicles is done by state transport departments, but the parking issue is dealt with by the municipal bodies.

Moreover, barring people to buy new vehicles should ideally be preceded with making efficient public transport available, they add.

Experts also want the government to take other steps such as hiking parking charges, levying charges for using private vehicles in congested areas and increasing interest rate for car loans to discourage people from buying vehicles.

Several reports on de-congesting cities and towns have in past suggested similar measure of linking availability of parking space to registration of private vehicles.