In a way expressing the “common man’s helplessness” to the Capital’s parking woes, the court pointed out to the haphazard parking lots outside the High Court complex.

The court was hearing a petition highlighting that parking mafia, “armed with tenders won from the MCD, had encroached the Capital’s footpaths and main roads”.

“But, where will people park their cars in Delhi?” queried the Chief Justice, “you know the condition. For example, let us take the situation in the High Court; what will happen if we ban parking on both sides of the road outside?”

The Bench was keen to know of the progress made by civic authorities in the multi-level parking projects across the city, while pointing out that one such project would shortly be given the go-ahead in the high court complex too.

“The city needs more multi-level parking lots. We (the high court) are also going to have one shortly,” the Chief Justice said, directing the MCD to file a status report on the progress of the project by March 14.

Filing parking tickets issued by contractors in the name of the MCD, the petitioner, S C Jain, through his counsel Sugreev Dubey, said “tickets issued by contractors reflect that parking has been allowed even on the main roads”.

It blamed the MCD along with NDMC, DDA and the Delhi Police for ignoring provisions of law banning “encroachment, blockage of passage or streets and roads”.

“Surface parking should be located in a manner that does not diminish or hinder the continuity and homogeneity of pedestrian movement,” the petition stated.

Specifying places like Yamuna Pushta, the petition stated not less than 10,000 vehicles are parked, occupying most of the thoroughfare during peak hours causing much inconvenience to commuters.