Chennai Corporation will commission a smart parking management system at 378 locations to meet the heavy parking demand in the city.
As many as 378 parking blocks with space for 5,389 cars and 1,478 motorcycles have been identified. In a bid to implement the system, the Chennai Corporation is planning to increase the parking charges from Rs. 5 to Rs. 40 per hour. Following a study, the fee for parking in high parking demand roads has been fixed at Rs. 40 per hour. Other areas will have a fee of Rs. 20 per hour. The State government has to issue a government order on increasing the parking charges to facilitate the successful operation of the smart parking management system.
Currently, the city has 191 parking lots for cars, offering services at a fee of Rs. 5 per hour. Parking for motorcycles and autorickshaws is offered free of cost. The new parking system will continue to offer the services free of cost to motorcycles and autorickshaws, said an official.
The premium pricing of Rs. 40 per hour for parking of cars has been proposed in zones of Anna Nagar, Teynampet and Adyar. The revenue from parking is estimated at Rs. 37.6 crore per year.
The operational expense is estimated at Rs. 1.8 crore. The capital cost is estimated at Rs. 4.2 crore. According to the study, areas with heavy parking demand include George Town, T. Nagar, Marina Beach, Adyar, Anna Salai, Purasawalkam, Anna Nagar, Nungambakkam, Mylapore, Guindy, Washermenpet, Royapuram and Tondiarpet.
“The consultant has studied the various cost factors involved in installing, operating and maintaining the system. New measures to prevent parking violations have also been suggested,” said an official.
LED signage
The civic body will install LED signage for information on availability of parking spaces.
Officials at a central control centre will monitor the smart parking system, storing, analysing and retrieving CCTV feed.