Parking policy for Chennai Metropolitan Area gets govt’s green light

CHENNAI: Marking a major step in addressing parking challenges and promoting sustainable transport options, the state government has approved a parking policy for the entire Chennai Metropolitan Area (CMA), spanning 5,904 sq km which includes four corporations like Chennai, Tambaram, Avadi, Kancheepuram, 12 municipalities, 13 town panchayats, 22 panchayat unions and one special grade town panchayat.

The comprehensive policy was developed by the Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (CUMTA), and a parking management portal a mobile application and website will be launched to enable citizens to find real-time parking information, book slots in off-street parking lots, make digital payments, and share feedback.

As per the policy, a dedicated Parking Management Unit (PMU) will be established under CUMTA to oversee the parking management process. This unit will be responsible for developing parking plans, setting parking prices, selecting service providers, and executing implementation strategies, with support from Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) and the Police Department. Unlike other cities, CUMTA's PMU will be the single authority to manage parking across the entire CMA.

Speaking about the policy, Jeyakumar I, Member Secretary, CUMTA, said, “Parking management is fundamentally an urban mobility measure. It facilitates smooth traffic flow and promotes sustainable transportation modes, ensuring that limited road space is efficiently used by all road users. Allocating parking spaces to optimise road space is an effort in this direction.”

The policy mandates the preparation of Area-Level Parking Management plans for an extent of around 3-5 sq km within the Parking Management Cluster in the CMA and periodically updates them to implement context-specific parking rules and regulations.

It recommends that the existing off-street parking facilities should be improved by pricing on-street parking higher than the off-street parking facilities. Public off-street parking facilities can be integrated with on-street parking (up to 500m) under a single management. Electric vehicle charging and battery-swapping facilities should be installed in all existing and proposed off-street public parking spaces.

To ensure optimum utilisation of all available parking spaces, the policy suggested that residential, commercial, and institutional campuses should be encouraged to open up unused off-street parking spaces for public use where there is potential for shared parking, with support from private parking aggregators.

Considering the traffic congestion faced near educational institutions during opening and closing times, the parking policy recommends that the institutions consider staggering the class timings of different standards so that the load experienced by roads during school opening and closing hours is distributed over a few off-peak hours. They should also prepare a circulation plan and provide space for pick-up, drop-off, and bus parking within their premises or other private premises.

Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) India has offered technical knowledge support towards the creation of the policy. Aswathy Dilip, Managing Director of ITDP India, said, “With this policy, Chennai takes a bold step towards improving urban mobility. The shift from free to paid parking will not only streamline parking management but also encourage a shift towards more sustainable modes of transport, like public transport, walking, and cycling.”

Parking pricing:

On-street pricing shall be set so that 15% of spaces are vacant at any given time

Four pricing tiers – high, medium, low, and free

Policy moots short no-fee cushion time (10-15 mins or so)

Exemption for taxis, autos, and e-rickshaws when parked in approved stands. They shall pay applicable

on-street parking fees on other spot

Policy suggested staggering school timings for different classes to reduce morning and evening congestion