CHENNAI: The new parking policy for the Chennai Metropolitan Area, which was released on Wednesday after the final approval of the state government, calls for employers with over 100 employees to come up with a solid travel demand management plan to "stop letting everyone drive their own cars to work".
The aim is to encourage shared rides, public transport and even walking or cycling. This means employers will have to track where you live, how you get to work, what vehicle you use and even when you travel. This data is meant to help employers provide better shuttle services to metro stations, suburban trains and bus stops.
A parking management unit will be set up under CUMTA (as a special purpose vehicle or a division) to prepare parking management and implementation plans, recommend parking pricing and enforcement of parking strategies; and give regular recommendations for improvement. It is to be headed by a dedicated officer reporting to CUMTA.
The new policy suggests the introduction of a 'proof of parking' that validates the availability of at least one off- street parking space, for future registration of vehicles as a long-term measure.
Area level parking management plans are to be created, as part of the new policy, which takes into account entire neighbourhoods for demand assessment and designating parking spaces. Earlier, sources said, parking management was done at the street-level, which often resulted in unregulated spill-over to adjoining streets.
Three types of street parking spots
With nearly 9.2 million vehicles jostling for space, on-street parking has turned into a free-for-all. CUMTA wants to change that by treating parking as an urban mobility measure, says CUMTA special officer I Jayakumar.
He said three types of street parking spots will be determined in every area level parking management. These include high-demand block face, medium-demand block face and low-demand block face. Based on this category, the city will determine four prices -- high, medium, low and free. A street can have a mix of all four price ranges. For example, a 2-km-long street can have high and low prices based on the demand.
The parking fees will be based on factors like vehicle size, parking duration and parking demand. The urban local bodies will fix the parking fee based on the recommendations as per the area-level parking management plan. Similarly, on-street parking prices will be set so that 15% of spaces are vacant at any given time, he said.
In neighbourhoods, especially those with limited parking spaces, the local bodies will create permit zones for parking. If a resident lives in a designated zone, they may apply for a 'Residential parking permit', a special pass that allows residents staying in the area to be able to park their cars on the streets near their homes.
The permits that are available are a fixed number, based on demand assessment, and might be renewed at three of six month intervals. These parking permits are proof that a resident lives in one of the designated zones, giving them a chance to park near their homes, especially in crowded areas.
On-street parking to be costlier
As per the new parking policy, on-street parking shall be charged higher than off-street parking which will encourage long-term parking at off-street locations. The parking services will be changed from the current post-paid model to a pre-paid one to encourage users to plan their parking activity in advance and avoid long duration parking on streets. Public off-street parking and surrounding on-street parking (upto 500 metres) shall be integrated and managed by a single entity.
Schools have been ordered to stagger their class timings to ease the morning and afternoon traffic outside school gates. Schools must also plan dedicated areas for pickups, drop-offs, and bus parking, according to the new policy.
Reining in the chaos
* Centralised parking system: CUMTA will develop a digital platform to manage parking data
* Parking app and website: A portal will provide real-time updates on slot availability and fees
* Revenue management: All parking revenue goes directly into the urban transport fund
* Private sector incentives: Government to lease land at nominal rate for off-street parking