Bhubaneswar, July 27: Get ready to shell out more on registration if you want a second car to adorn your stable.

The new parking policy, the draft of which is ready for discussion, proposes higher registration fee for multiple vehicles after the first one.

Sources said the new policy drawn up by the housing and urban development department is aimed at discouraging people from buying more vehicles so that parking congestion in different parts of the state, especially bigger cities such as Cuttack and Bhubaneswar, can be tackled effectively.

You will shortly have to pay higher registration fees for your second, third and subsequent vehicles.

Be prepared to pay higher than regular parking fees for four-wheelers in busy areas such as Master Canteen Square. Penalty for violations will also be higher than they are now.

A vision document prepared by the housing and urban development department and released in the public domain for response envisions a comprehensive parking plan for the city in line with other comprehensive plans in the urban development sector.

Road transport department sources said that while from 1960 till date the city has seen registration of 76,806 vehicles, in the past five years, 48,122 vehicles have been registered.

Mrutyunjay Tripathy, a commuter between the city and Balianta on the outskirts, said: “The urban planners thought of a parking policy only after they took a look at the mess. Authorities in Bhubaneswar should have planned the infrastructure for parking much earlier. I believe that for the proposed multi-level parking spots along Janpath many government quarters will have to be demolished.”

The pace of urban development in the city can only be gauged from the rising number of buildings, he said.

“If the authorities do not make a plan right now, there will be severe problems for commuters on the streets during peak hours. We are now using a car pool to reach our office as the area is not connected with city bus service.”

The makers of the new vision document on parking, which will ultimately become the parking policy of the state government, will receive responses from the public till August 25.

Urban management practitioner Piyush Ranjan Rout said: “The vision document is a right step towards managing traffic in the city, but there should be proper coordination between all the departments concerned so that the implementation bears fruit. The development authority and police have their roles cut out to make the city better.”

Automobile traders in the city said they were yet to receive any information regarding the new parking policy.

“The effect on the automobile business can only be ascertained after getting the quantum of increase for registration fees for multiple car registrations,” said vice-president of Capital Ford Ranjan Mohapatra.

Other traders feel that if the registration fees increase by even Rs 1,000, it will not be a deterrent for people to buy multiple cars, as someone who can afford a four-wheeler would not mind paying a bit extra for registration.

At present registration charges for cars at the local road transport office are Rs 429.

“The proposed parking policy has also taken into consideration creation of a urban transport fund for which money will come from the fines and dues collected. Innovative concepts such as congestion tax, which is widely used in western countries, will be tested this time here. It involves collection of tariff from vehicles during peak hours so that the traffic load is low on certain stretches,” said Sanjib Kumar Mishra, additional secretary, housing and urban development department.

The new document has also categorically stated the amount of parking place to be dedicated by a residential complex and hospital, mall or shopping arcade, educational institution and recreational zone.