Public parking policy for MCs notified

Harshraj Singh

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Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, April 14

For parking management in cities of Punjab, the government has notified the state's first public parking policy for municipal corporation towns of Punjab. Under this policy, fee would also be charged for parking vehicles on streets in residential areas.

According to the policy, the Municipal Corporation will subdivide the city into multiple parking zones or parking management area. Each parking zone consists of the entire street network, including streets with paid parking, free parking, and no parking, as well as any public off-street parking. The urban local agencies concerned have been given time till August 31 to make 'Area parking plans' for implementation of the policy in the right manner.

Senior Town Planner, Town Planning Wing of Local Bodies Department, Punjab, Gautam Kumar confirmed that the notification for public parking policy was issued on Friday. It is the first time that public parking policy for state has been introduced, according to information.

Residential parking permits for on-street parking may be issued to residents living in home parking zone at a slightly discounted rate compared to the applicable rate. In each home parking zone, the number of residential permits, which will be valid for one year, would be issued on the basis of availability of parking spaces.

As per policy, on-street parking charges would be higher than off-site parking charges to prevent crowding on the roads. Fee would be charged higher for larger vehicles than smaller vehicles. The fine for illegal parking would be charged on the seriousness of the offence. Besides, there is provision to impose penalty for non-payment of parking fees and parking in a no-parking zone.

Moreover, the long duration parking that is more than three hours will be discouraged in the on-street parking spaces. A few parking slots within each paid parking block may be designated for special purposes, such as free bicycle parking, taxi or auto-rickshaw stand, or disabled parking.

Parking management

MC will create a Parking Management Wing (PMW) that would outsource parking operations to service provider(s). They will develop an operating plan, implement an IT-based parking management system, manage fee collection, enforce parking rules, and provide customer care.

The contract for parking operations should be awarded to a service provider through a transparent bidding process e-tendering. The service providers will receive a service fee for setting up the parking management (and enforcement) system and operating it. The service provider would develop an IT-based system and provides for quick and hassle-free payment options to the customers through cellphone-based payment systems via an e-wallet linked to a registered vehicle and phone number. Notably, in city like Ludhiana, shortage of parking space is a major issue. Besides, fleecing of visitors is very common at MC's parking lots in different areas.

Know more

• According to the policy, the enforcement power of challaning may be delegated to the officer's of the Municipal Corporation under the provisions of the relevant Act.
• Instead of manually challaning, a recording/photography of illegally parked vehicles should be done and challans sent to the address of the violators.
• Bicycles parking should be free of charge at all times.
• Parking fee may not apply to passenger auto-rickshaws and taxis when parked in their designated slots.
• To reduce parking violation, latest technology to be used for organising parking spaces, installing on-street parking meters, computerising parking slips with timers and putting in place public information system to inform about the availability of parking space to users.
• Facility for overnight parking of transport vehicles.