GMDA to develop Gurugram’s first parking app

The Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) is planning to develop the city’s first dedicated app for parking that will allow residents to find the nearest

The Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) is planning to develop the city’s first dedicated app for parking that will allow residents to find the nearest parking lot, know the number of parking spots available, and to book parking spots in advance, said officials on Saturday.

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In October, GMDA had directed the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG), Haryana Shahri Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP), Public Works Department (PWD), and Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (HSIIDC) to survey vacant plots in their respective jurisdictions with the aim of potentially converting them into park lots.

As per GMDA officials privy to the matter, the departments have submitted a list of at least 80 such sites for this purpose and the geographic information system (GIS) mapping of the same has been initiated.

GMDA officials said that sites which would be finalised for parking purposes would subsequently be uploaded in this app under development, which would help residents to know vital details such as the parking lot closest to their current location and the total number of available parking spaces in each site, along with providing them with the option of advance booking.

Further, the app will also reflect key information such as a city-wide standard parking fare under GMDA’s parking policy to ensure that the parking contractors are not overcharging residents while the digital issuance of parking tickets will ensure that all revenue is accounted for and the possibilities of embezzlement of funds are minimised.

“We have received relevant details of vacant plots for the purpose of turning them into parking lots from various public departments. The process of finalising the sites is in the process. Simultaneously, we are also working on developing an app that would reflect all key details under a single window, allowing residents to avail parking facilities in the city seamlessly,” said a GMDA official privy to the matter.

Officials further said that all existing government parking lots would also be integrated into the app and showcase all aforementioned relevant details.

In a city of more than 20 lakh residents, there are only 15 sanctioned HSVP parking lots, and a solitary multilevel parking in Sector 29. Therefore, parking remains a major crisis in the city. Many residents opt to use the main carriageway or service lanes near markets, malls, and eateries to park their vehicles illegally which often results in snarls especially in areas such as MG Road, Galleria Market, Sohna Road, and Golf Course Road.

“Parking apps have now been developed in many cities across the country. The objective of such parking apps is to ensure that the parking demand does not exceed more than the total supply. The app should not be limited to being an information tool but also highlight the exact points where the sanctioned parking lots are situated. This can be achieved via GPS navigation to ensure that commuters do not end up parking in unauthorised areas,” said Sewa Ram, an urban transport system design expert and a faculty member at the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA).

“Further, all the city’s sanctioned parking should be linked and integrated in such a manner that it automatically directs a commuter to the nearest parking lot when the demand for a particular parking lot is nearing its total capacity,” he said. He further said that the app should also display commonly known illegal or unauthorised parking areas to caution commuters in advance.