Want To Buy A Car? In Noida, You've To Show The Parking Space First

Niraj Tiwari, 43, was forced to sell his independent house in Delhi's Malviya Nagar to buy a flat in Noida. A daily squabble with his immediate neighbour over parking space had taken a toll on his peace of mind, so he decided to sell his ancestral home in South Delhi and move on. There are many like Tiwari across major cities of India. But the issues that vehicle owners in the national capital region face and create are peculiar in nature.

For instance, many bought new cars to crack the odd-even road-rationing formula that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had implemented in the capital twice. Government data show that the number of registered cars in Delhi stood at 1,899,457 till March 2016, while it is estimated that 5.7 lakh cars get registered in the national capital every day.

And why not? Unlike houses, availing of car loans is much easier. From a status symbol to a basic necessity, car ownership in India has grown by leaps and bounds.

Now, however, authorities in Noida have mooted a plan that to get your four-wheeler registered in Noida, you will have to submit an affidavit stating that you have a parking space for the vehicle. The proposal is an indication that the Noida authority is trying to save the city from parking woes of epic proportions. Data show that as many as 400 vehicles are registered in Noida on a daily basis.

How will the plan help?

The plan to allow registering of vehicles only after it has been established that the owner has space to park the vehicle can be a groundbreaking way to curb the rising vehicle ownership. This could be the first rule aimed at restricting the ownership of private four-wheelers in the city. Cars on roads is not the only problem that Noida roads face; cars parked by roadside act as a roadblock, too.

The proposal, when implemented, may change a buyer's perspective on the issue from the present reckless vehicle ownership to a responsible one. You won't buy a car only because you can afford it; you will have to be responsible for its appropriate parking, too. An innovative model, its implementation will surely help authorities tackle more than just traffic problems and create a model for other cities to also follow.