``People with luxury vehicles like Cielo, Ford, Gypsy, Tata Sumo etc will pay Rs 15 as parking charges,'' Sanjay stated. The parking attendants even issue a coupon for the hiked rate of Rs 15 with the MCD mark on it. On an average, five cars enter the Appu Ghar lot every minute during rush hour. Parking authorities allegedly make an extra Rs 10 for every car parked in their lot.

Press Information Officer (MCD) Deep Mathur clarified: ``The MCD rule clearly states that the parking charge for cars at all MCD authorised parking lots in the Capital shall not exceed Rs 5 if the car is parked for less than four hours. The parking rate goes up to Rs 10 if the car is parked for 12 hours and Rs 15 if it is parked for 24 hours''.

At South Extension's Phase I market, parking attendants issue a coupon which quotes the actual MCD rate. But attendants here make their extra buck by asking car drivers ``if they want their cars safe?''.

So, the unofficial parking charge for a car is Rs 10 though the coupon quotes the rate as Rs 5 for four hours. There seem to be several persons operating the South Extension parking lot. This reporter could not meet the in-charge despite repeated visits to the parking lot. One attendant explained: ``Vinay Mahindroo is the authorised in-charge. He has deputed Prakash, but he rarely comes here. Prakash has another man looking after us. We are at the fourth and lowest level''.

The police seem to be hand-in-glove with parking attendants. A beat constable sat with the parking attendants at South Extension even as they fleeced drivers by charging an extra Rs 5 over the standard rate.

The parking rate at PVR Anupam in Saket is a flat Rs 10 with no reference to the duration for which it is parked. Anil Sharma who is in-charge of the PVR Anupam lot even issues coupons quoting Rs 10 as the parking charge. The coupon states that the price is authorised by the MCD.

Such open violation of MCD rules is taking place apparently with full knowledge of the police. A senior policeman at the Hauz Khas Police Station said: ``I think the PVR Anupam parking lot charges are in accordance with the MCD rules. The MCD rates were revised seven months ago and the rate for cars was raised from Rs 5 to Rs 10''. Either the police are unaware of actual rates or there is some form of collusion, but either way parking attendants are running things their way.