BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha government will soon come up with a policy to address the growing challenge of urban parking in the state.
Officials of the Housing and Urban Development (H&UD) department said the decision has been taken as unregulated parking has emerged as one of the most pressing concerns in the state’s fast-growing urban areas.
H&UD special secretary Rajesh Prabhakar Patil said the proposed parking policy will serve as a guiding document for all urban local bodies (ULBs) in the state to implement efficient, transparent and sustainable parking systems. “The initiative is aligned with the vision of CM Mohan Charan Majhi to develop inclusive, people-friendly and sustainable cities across Odisha,” he added.
Department officials said a consultation workshop was also recently organised to deliberate on the draft. It was attended by different stakeholders where municipal commissioners, traffic and transport experts, town planners, architects, civil society representatives and academicians shared thoughts on creating a comprehensive policy framework that will enable better management of parking, reduce congestion and support safe and liveable cities.
The draft policy deliberation included regulation of on-street and off-street parking through a structured system, introduction of demand-based parking charges to discourage indiscriminate parking, and promotion of sustainable mobility options such as walking, cycling and public transport integration.