The increasing challenge of finding a spot for your car

Last year, as a result of Singapore’s unique effort to limit its automobile population, prospective car owners in the island nation had to cough up as much as $80,000 in some cases just to be allowed to head to a car showroom. India’s car count is still low relative to its population, but its cities, too, are struggling to make space for them, and parking scuffles are an everyday reality in many localities. How fast is the number of cars in India’s largest cities growing? How large will the parking lot that can fit all these cars be? How much can cities’ coffers swell if all cars were asked to pay a parking fee? Can increasing parking fees in busy localities be of any help? Mint finds out:

In top gear

The parking space needed for passenger vehicles globally is likely to increase nearly threefold from 30,000 sq km in 2010 to 80,000 sq km in 2050, the size of a mid-sized Indian state, according to a 2013 estimate by the International Energy Agency. China and India would contribute about 40% of the increase, the estimate showed.

The saturation point is still more than two decades away in India as car ownership is still very low, research suggests. Yet, cities tell a different story. Delhi would need more than 4,000 football fields or land worth nearly ₹10 trillion to fit all its cars, Mint estimates show. Delhi’s cars stacked bumper-to-bumper would reach all the way to Chile.

Loss-making model?

Parking fee is a big puzzle piece. A 2016 government report said higher charges could reduce congestion, promote public transport, and finance urban bodies. Ten years ago, a national transport policy panel said the time had come for cities with high motor vehicle populations to consider restricted registrations, linking ownership to proof of having parking space, and high parking fees. Indian cities have one of the lowest parking prices.