After trying to apply the law of supply and demand to the male-female sex ratio and upset with the moral ramifications, here is my hand at archaelogical economy.
The Hindustan Times editorial “Driving a Hard Bargain” posed the following prescriptive solutions for the parking woes in Delhi. The objective was to seriously consider the apex court’s advice that a parking management policy (I am trying to conceal my laughs on this!) be put in place before the govt clears any more commercial or industrial projects. The solutions are 1> Mandatory inclusion of parking space in forthcoming building plans; 2> punitive fines to discourage parking outside designated areas and 3> tough rules to tackle traffic congestion due to parking.
The solution makes two classic failures in understanding policy. One, it talks about a solution without taking into account the nature of the solution provider. Two, it blinds into the belief that if an agency can perform a solution, it will do it. And three, what I did not mention, the cost of the prescribed measures, good policy making takes costs and benefits always into the reckoning.
Post Disclaimer
The opinions expressed in this essay are those of the authors. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of CCS.
