Buying a car is certainly an issue of social prestige in India; a symbol of success, prosperity and wealth. Till now, the only requirement for buying a new car was money – You pay the money, and you take home a car. As simple as that.
But now, the rules are being changed. Besides money for buying a new car, you also need to show evidence that you have enough parking space for that car. In case you fail to do so, then Govt. won’t allow you to purchase a new car.
Urban development minister M. Venkaiah Naidu has said, “In future, I also want to share with you that no car or vehicle will be registered without an adequate parking space available certificate.”
He is in talks with Road Transport Ministry, and the required amendments would be soon introduced in the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2016 to make it a law.
Japan’s 54 Year Old Law Being Implemented in India
Japan was world’s 1st country to introduce such law, way back in 1954. Due to space constraint, Japan had introduced a unique license called Proof of Parking Space certificate (known as hokan basho shomei in Japanese).
Hence, before buying a new or old car in Japan, the buyer has to obtain this certificate which states that the license holder has enough space to park his vehicle. Without this license, Japan doesn’t allow the car owner to register his vehicle.
The same rule is now being adopted in India, and the Govt. wont register that vehicle without obtaining that certificate for parking space availability.
Reason For Parking Space Certificate
If we talk only about national capital New Delhi, then right now, there are 2.6 million cars plying on its roads. This makes Delhi as the state which has maximum number of cars.
Due to easy credit policy of banks and an avalanche of car loans approval, more than 1400 cars are sold per day in Delhi (2014 data). And interestingly, almost 30% of residents in Delhi are staying in unauthorized colonies!
Due to this mismatch of space, resources and laws, there is congestion, traffic woes and chaos all around. Now consider the same issue in other metropolitans such as Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru besides Tier 2, 3 cities, and the problem compounds.
What Other Countries Are Doing To Restrict Car Sales?
In Singapore, for instance, car buyers are required to obtain Certificate of Entitlement (COE) before buying a new car. This certificate is provided after Govt. officials determine the actual need of a new car for the buyer, and whether the purchase can be avoided.
Using factors such as total cars in Singapore, ratio of car owners in that area and the level of pollution, this Certificate of Entitlement is provided for a period of 10 years. After which, either the car has to be scrapped or new certificate obtained.
In India, Himachal Pradesh High Court had passed a similar law which required car buyers to obtain proof of parking space before purchasing a new car. However, its implementation is still ambiguous.
Do you think implementing such rules will solve India’s traffic problems? Govt. should ensure that public transport is improved first? Do let us know by commenting right here!