Park your car for 24 hours in Delhi? NDMC's new plan could leave you with a hefty bill

Parking trap

Leave your car parked for more than 24 hours in Lutyens' Delhi? It could soon disappear from the parking lot! Under NDMC's proposed smart parking system, vehicles staying beyond 24 hours will trigger automatic alerts to civic officials and Delhi Police. Such vehicles could be towed to designated storage facilities, leaving owners with an unexpected bill. But how much could one extra day of parking actually cost?  (Representative Images)

Price explosion

Parking in New Delhi could soon become significantly more expensive! Under NDMC's proposed smart parking overhaul, regular parking charges are expected to rise by 40–50%, while monthly passes could cost two to three times their current rates. The proposed changes will cover 157 parking locations across the municipal area. For people who park their vehicles daily, the biggest surprise may be how quickly the additional charges add up.

Towing shock

₹1,500 just to recover your car after a parking violation? NDMC's proposed rules include ₹1,000 in towing charges for cars, plus ₹500 per day for storage. Light goods vehicles and medium passenger vehicles could face ₹3,000 in towing charges and ₹1,000 per day for storage. And there's another catch: the proposed night parking fee after 24 hours would be double the normal hourly rate.

Camera crackdown

Your number plate could soon reveal exactly how long you've been parked! NDMC plans to upgrade 157 parking sites covering approximately 15,060 equivalent car spaces with automatic number plate recognition cameras, FASTag readers, boom barriers and digital payment facilities. Drivers could also check available parking slots in real time. But the same technology will help authorities identify vehicles overstaying beyond 24 hours.