Govt’s green drive: Buying second car to cost more

Pratibha Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, May 24

The Urban Development Department is proposing to hike the registration fee and other charges on those who wish to own more than one vehicle by amending the law with narrow roads here proving to be too inadequate to take the strain of over one lakh local vehicles.

With the traffic congestion and choked roads becoming a bane for locals and an impediment for tourism promotion, the government has been forced into devising means and ways to restrict the growing number of vehicles.

What makes matters worse is the grossly inadequate parking slots in the town, forcing people to park their vehicle on narrow roads.

“We are planning an amendment to the Urban Development Act so that the higher registration fee and other charges could be imposed on those who wish to possess more than one vehicle,” says Sudhir Sharma, Urban Development and Town and Country Planning (TCP) Minister. He says legal opinion is being sought and the amendment could be brought about shortly.

Since the government has no authentic number of the total number of vehicles registered in the state, plans are afoot to get such a survey done. Shimla alone has almost 80,000 vehicles registered with the local authorities, besides thousands of other vehicles with outside numbers plying here.

The High Court has already passed an order on May 22 where no vehicles meant for use in Shimla will be registered anywhere is the state if there is no parking provision. The owner will have to obtain a certificate from the Collector if he has a parking, which will be verified by an SHO.

Considering the seriousness of the issue, the problem of traffic congestion in Shimla was discussed by the Committee of Secretaries at its meeting held on April 29. Traffic regulation tips from some mountain cities in China such as Guangzhou could be taken to adopt a multi-pronged strategy, including developing a good public transport system.

With most roads, many of these constructed during the British rule planned to take the burden of very limited number of vehicles, the manifold increase in the number of vehicles in Shimla, Dharamsala, Dalhousie, Kasauli and Manali has become a major problem with traffic jam becoming a daily affair.

Despite it being mandatory for all new constructions to have parking space, there is no adherence to this condition as there is practically no monitoring. Neither the Municipal Corporation, nor the department ensures its implementation stringently. Space or entire floors shown as parking in building maps are put to commercial use.

The government is looking at various options, including developing a good public transport system, which could help restrict use of private vehicles.

Shimla has 80,000 vehicles

The govt has no authentic number of the total vehicles registered in the state, plans are afoot to get such a survey done. Shimla alone has almost 80,000 vehicles registered with the local authorities, besides thousands of other vehicles with outside numbers plying here. The High Court already passed an order on May 22 where no vehicles meant for use in Shimla will be registered anywhere is the state if there is no parking provision. The owner will have to obtain a certificate from the Collector if he has a parking, which will be verified by an SHO.