Existing parking facilities remain underused even as MCD plans to unveil 20 new spaces

Even as the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) plans to expand multi-level parking facilities across the city, a ground visit suggests that many existing parking structures remain underused, while illegal and unauthorised roadside parking continues to choke roads and markets.

Presenting the estimated budget for 2026-27 in the first week of December 2025, MCD Commissioner Ashwini Kumar said the civic body “plans to open 20 more parking facilities in the coming year”. All of these, he said, will be self-multi-level parking systems instead of surface lots, as they can accommodate more vehicles in limited space and are considered more “efficient”.

Parked vehicles choke roads

However, spot checks by The Hindu at several existing multi-level parking sites – both newly inaugurated and those operational for years – found that many facilities with capacities of over 500 cars were lying largely empty. In contrast, roads around markets and commercial hubs were crowded with vehicles parked in no-parking zones.

Parking operators and car users cited several reasons for avoiding automated parking, including the time required for parking and retrieval, the distance to destinations, and the availability of cheaper or free roadside parking.

During budget discussions, the chairperson of the MCD’s Works Committee, Preeti, also flagged the issue, suggesting that all vacant land under the civic body’s jurisdiction should be converted into parking lots. She said this conversion would help remove encroachments, increase revenue, and bridge the widening gap between parking demand and the rising number of vehicles in Delhi.

In September 2025, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta inaugurated two long-delayed puzzle parking projects – a multi-level facility in Punjabi Bagh with a capacity of 225 vehicles, built at a cost of ₹31 crore, and an eight-level automated parking facility in Greater Kailash-I that can hold 399 cars. In addition, construction has begun on a self-automated parking facility for 188 cars at Bharat Darshan Park at a cost of ₹30 crore. Officials said vehicles can be retrieved in about 150 seconds using the automated system.

Yet, the response on the ground has been mixed. At the newly opened GK-I parking, only a handful of cars were parked, while the lanes of M Block market remained lined with vehicles parked right outside shops. Surface parking is allowed close to storefronts, affecting pedestrian movement, while auto-rickshaws and other para-transit vehicles are restricted from entering the market.

‘Doorstep parking preferred’

“People prefer parking right at the doorstep,” said Arpit Singh, a regular visitor to the market. “The automated parking is there, but it feels inconvenient when free parking is easily available outside.”

Similarly, at the Sarojini Nagar multi-level parking facility built by the New Delhi Municipal Council in 2011 at a cost of ₹80 crore, traders said long waiting times discourage users. The facility has a capacity for 824 vehicles, but it is seldom full.

‘Even if it’s illegal…’

A car owner, Ankit Verma, said both parking and retrieval could take up to 25 minutes during busy hours. “It’s faster to park on the road, even if it’s illegal. The approach road to the parking doesn’t have enough space to handle traffic if everyone uses it,” he said.

In contrast, parking facilities near office areas reported better usage. Operators at the automated parking facility opposite the Green Park regional office in Hauz Khas said the facility, with a capacity of over 130 cars, is usually full. “Most users are monthly pass holders who work nearby,” said a parking attendant, adding that market visitors still prefer roadside parking.

One of the city’s oldest facilities, the underground parking at Asaf Ali Road near Lok Nayak Hospital, with space for 1,800 vehicles, was also found to be largely unoccupied.

Uptick in revenue

MCD data show that revenue from surface and multi-level parking rose from ₹49.14 crore between April and September 2024 to ₹58.09 crore in the same period of 2025. Currently, the civic body operates 430 parking lots across Delhi, including 14 multi-level facilities. Parking rates are ₹20 per hour for cars and ₹10 per hour for two-wheelers, capped at ₹100 and ₹50 per day respectively.

MCD officials also said that unless illegal surface parking is strictly controlled and market access is redesigned, automated parking alone may not solve Delhi’s parking crisis.

Published – January 12, 2026 01:16 am IST