Plan for road congestion tax to cut peak-hour traffic in Delhi

In an attempt to reduce road traffic during peak hours, the Delhi government is planning to introduce a congestion tax.

According to a report by ETAuto, the Delhi government authorities are working on a "congestion pricing" strategy where drivers will be charged for using the specified roads during peak traffic hours.

Shahzad Alam, the special commissioner of transport, told ETAuto, "What we are working on is called congestion pricing.” For the pilot phase, 13 locations on Delhi's borders have been identified.

In 2018, a similar proposal was discussed to deal with the traffic congestion. The then Lt. Governor Anil Baijal had proposed charging vehicles entering congested road stretches during peak hours. Mr Baijal had mentioned that the Delhi government was consulting experts and would seek public feedback before implementing the policy.

At that time, 21 high-traffic stretches, including ITO intersection and Mehrauli-Gurgaon Road, were identified as potential areas for the congestion tax. In 2017, a parliamentary panel had also recommended levying a toll on congested roads in the national capital.

In other global cities

Cities such as Singapore, London, and Stockholm charge similar taxes to manage traffic and reduce congestion.

Recently, a report by Karnataka’s planning department and the industry group `Karnataka’s Decade: Roadmap to $1 Trillion Economy' also suggested authorities in Bengaluru impose a congestion tax to ease traffic during rush hours on high-density roads.

The revenue could be used to improve public transport, reduce pollution, and enhance the quality of life, the report said.

Over-age vehicles face the axe

On Friday, the Delhi Transport Department launched a fresh round of crackdown on over-age vehicles to combat air pollution in the national capital.

The department has asked traffic police to deploy four teams in every municipal zone in coordination with its enforcement wing to impound diesel and petrol-run vehicles that are older than 10 and 15 years, respectively. More than 55 lakh over-age vehicles have been de-registered so far in the national capital.

(By arrangement with livemint.com)