Gate Blocked, Man Dead: The true cost of Delhi’s exploding car chaos

Produced by: Manoj Kumar

Gate Murder

Mohammad Asif Qureshi—Bollywood actor Huma Qureshi’s cousin—was stabbed to death in Bhogal after asking two teenagers to move a scooter parked at his gate. A symptom of Delhi’s spiraling parking crisis.

Vehicle Surge

With 13 million+ vehicles and 655 per 1,000 population, Delhi’s vehicle count has exploded far beyond what its parking infrastructure can handle—fueling conflict, chaos, and delays.

Space Starved

Most buildings—even new ones—lack organized parking. From residential colonies to markets, legal spaces are scarce, pushing vehicles into every curb, corner, and corridor.

Price Barrier

Land in Delhi is prohibitively expensive, choking efforts to build multi-level lots. Developers rarely prioritize parking, and urban density leaves no room to retrofit.

Encroached Earth

Footpaths, roads, and driveways double as parking spots. Cars squeeze into narrow streets, often on both sides—creating daily bottlenecks and pedestrian hazards.

Legacy Layouts

Many residential zones were designed decades ago, with no foresight for car ownership. Today, colonies are overwhelmed, and the High Court has called it a planning failure.

Lawless Asphalt

Illegal parking persists because enforcement is lax. Even during pollution-control alerts, bans are ignored, and public patience wears thin as congestion rises.

Policy Stuck

Plans like the Delhi Master Plan 2021 and 2017’s Parking Rules remain largely unimplemented—stranded in bureaucracy while the problem worsens on the ground.

Frustration Loop

Daily parking hunts waste fuel and time. From circling blocks to blocked gates, inefficiency reigns—hurting residents, businesses, and even emergency services.