Owner’s onus

Have car ensure parking space’ could be the new way of living in Shimla. If the Himachal Pradesh government follows the High Court's directive, Shimla's parking woes won't come to an end overnight but a significant step would certainly be taken. The court has asked the government to register only those vehicles, meant to be used within the Shimla municipal corporation limits, where the owner of the vehicle can produce a certificate that he or she owns a parking space.  The one of its kind directive might seem radical in a country where parking vehicles on the roads is almost a given, if not considered an inalienable right.

 Extreme situations warrant extreme solutions. This is not the first time harsh measures have been recommended. Prohibitive parking fee, which Shimla too has toyed with, is one of the many ways suggested by urban planners. Unlike other cities such as Delhi, which adds over 1000 cars daily to its kitty, Shimla may not have as yet witnessed parking wars. But that does not take away the gravity of the problem that is even undermining its tourism potential. Multi-level parking may or may not be a good idea. In the absence of efficient and reliable public transport system, India might find it difficult to follow the model of developed nations. However, it's time India understood the difference between urbanisation and urban slums, which is what most cities are getting reduced to. Propelled by real estate sharks, Shimla too is falling prey to the ills of haphazard growth.

 The Queen of Hills can’t let parking woes cramp its enviable position as well as its bid for the UNESCO world heritage status. Much is made of the damage to its ecology by the growing tourist pressure. But the residents of the city owe as much to its beautiful environs as the occasional visitors. They should not only welcome the court’s suggestion but also meet the required criterion. Since the state government has failed to come up with the initiative itself, the least it can do now is to seize the same.