3 weeks ago
Delhi's Greater Kailash M Block parking facility finds few takers
In a busy shopping area of Delhi called Greater Kailash, a big new parking building has room for almost 400 cars.
Inside, a machine parks the car by itself, like a robot, which sounds pretty cool.
But not many people use it, and most drivers still park their cars on the street outside the shops.
Both the robot parking and the street parking cost the same amount of money.
People say parking in the machine takes five to ten minutes, and getting the car back takes even more time, which feels like hard work.
Last week, heavy rain caused a power cut, and the parking building had to close for a couple of days, which made people trust it less.
Some city leaders want to remove street parking so drivers have to use the new building.
Others think the city should put up signs and advertise the parking building better, or give rewards to regular users.
A former official said the new facility is safe and protects cars, but drivers still need to be convinced.
An eight-storey automated parking facility with space for nearly 400 cars opened at Greater Kailash 1's M Block market last September, but has few takers.
Shoppers and residents continue to use roadside surface parking even though both facilities charge the same Rs 20 per hour and Rs 100 per day.
Visitors said parking takes five to ten minutes and retrieving the car another five minutes, calling the process 'hard work'.
The facility was closed for a couple of days last week after heavy rain forced BSES to cut power, flooding basements where generators and electrical equipment were kept.
Ward Councillor Anjum Mandal has asked the MCD to scrap surface parking, while the MCD proposes to limit stretches near the market entrances but keep surface parking as a revenue source.
- Who
- Shoppers and residents of the M Block market in Greater Kailash 1, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), operating agency Sotefin Bharat, and Ward Councillor Anjum Mandal.
- What
- A new eight-storey automated parking facility for nearly 400 cars remains underused as motorists keep parking on the road, prompting plans to limit surface parking.
- Where
- M Block market, Greater Kailash 1, South Delhi.
- When
- The facility opened last September and was closed for a couple of days the week before the report due to heavy rain.
- Why
- Motorists find the automated process slow and inconvenient, rain-related closures have eroded trust, and surface parking is just as accessibly priced, with poor signage and marketing adding to the problem.
Officials & Civic Planners
Shoppers & Motorists
Surface parking: scrap or keep?
Officials & Civic Planners
Ward Councillor Anjum Mandal wants surface parking scrapped so the automated facility is fully used; MCD plans to limit or 'delete' surface parking stretches near entrances and exits to ease congestion.
Shoppers & Motorists
Visitors and residents prefer roadside parking for quick trips, and MCD itself wants to keep surface parking because it remains a revenue-generating mechanism.
Why the facility is underused
Officials & Civic Planners
Former Transport official Anil Chikkara says the MCD should market the facility's security, add signage and provide incentives for regulars and residents.
Shoppers & Motorists
Motorists say parking takes five to ten minutes and retrieval another five, calling the whole process 'hard work' and preferring the easier, freely accessible roadside parking.
Trust after the rain closure
Officials & Civic Planners
Sotefin Bharat says the closure was a precautionary safety measure after BSES cut power, and that pumps plus a barrier wall now prevent waterlogging.
Shoppers & Motorists
An MCD parking attendant says residents and visitors cannot be blamed for being hesitant after the rain-related shutdown.
Key facts
- Facility
- Eight-storey automated parking facility
- Capacity
- Nearly 400 cars
- Location
- M Block market, Greater Kailash 1, South Delhi
- Charges
- Rs 20 per hour; Rs 100 per day (both facilities)
- Operating agency
- Sotefin Bharat
- Opening
- Last September
- Rain impact
- Closed a couple of days last week; basement flooding after BSES cut power
- Proposed change
- MCD to limit/delete surface parking stretches near market entrances
Quotes
A visitor
An unnamed market visitor expressing frustration with the automated parking process
“The whole thing is hard work”
indianexpress.com











