Hi-tech parking plan to help ease traffic in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: Citizens will have to pay premium rates for parking in busy commercial markets where space is less. The parking charges would be two to three times more than the normal.

The traffic police and GHMC are holding talks with private agencies to bring in a technology-driven centralised parking system. As part of this plan, about 1,000 on-road paid parking slots are being identified by the authorities concerned.

Traffic police officials said they were in touch with information technology experts for development of a mobile phone app through which people would be able to book their parking space after making the payment online in advance.

Experts said on-road parking should be enforced properly and should be withdrawn on high density corridors during peak hours.

“On-road parking leads to traffic congestion if it is not enforced properly. The traffic cops need to ensure that at least two-lane carriageway is available in addition to parking area and a little space for vehicle to reverse and move away,” said Central Road Research Institute former scientist T.S. Reddy.

He pointed out that an intelligent transport system was introduced for the  Connaught Place area in New Delhi. Motorists there could find out whether parking space was available or not. “Premium parking fee should be imposed to discourage motorists from parking their vehicles for longer duration,” he said.

Additional commissioner of police (traffic) Jitender said there was no uniform on-road parking policy in the city. “If it is Rs 10 per hour for a two-wheeler at one place, it is Rs 20 elsewhere. We are identifying on-road parking slots to accommodate 25,000 vehicles,” he said.

The proposal is to provide affordable uniform parking fee — for example Rs 10 per for two hours for two-wheelers or Rs 20 for two hours for cars at all the on-road parking slots, except the busy commercial markets where space is less.

“In places like Hong Kong, motorists can book  a parking slot in advance. In Hyderabad too, we are in touch with experts to come up with a mobile phone app that will facilitate motorists to book parking slots online, including corporate bookings for 40 of 100 car parking slots,” Mr Jitender said.

Commercial firms are out
Private commercial complexes, malls and multiplexes will not be part of the parking plans being explored by the traffic police and the GHMC.

“First, we want to provide on-road parking facilities to the motorists. The city does not have adequate number of on-street parking slots which we plan to address first. We will then hold talks with the managements of commercial establishments,” said additional commissioner of police (traffic) Jitender.

Commercial complexes have different parking rates, with some of them deducting the parking fee in the bill if a motorist makes purchases. There is no control or regulation by either GHMC or traffic cops on parking fee in commercial establishments.

A traffic police official said the GHMC had been asked to speed up the process of finalising tenders for construction of multi-level parking facilities. “Even the 1,000-odd on-street parking slots will not be sufficient. We need multi-level parking complexes,” he said.