Chennai Parking Policy Requires Proof of Parking for New Car Purchasers
The Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (CUMTA) has developed a milestone Chennai parking policy which requires proof of parking for newly registered car owners in the city. This policy, approved by the Housing and Urban Development Department in Chennai, seeks to combat Chennai’s persistent traffic congestion, divert more commuters to public transport and indeed give impetus to the phasing out of private vehicle use.
The new Chennai parking policy states all purchases of private vehicles will require the new owner to prove there is a parking spot before the car is registered. This is a strategic response to curb unregulated parking on the road which has been a very significant contributor to traffic blockages across numerous localities.
Main Points of the Policy
- Mandatory proof of parking for all new private vehicles
- Vehicle registration will be denied without verified parking
- Intended to reduce traffic and prevent parked vehicles from being on-street parking of unplanned
- Benefits public transport and reduces the temptation of owning many cars
- Encourages parks that are shared like at malls, gated communities, private buildings
- Residential parking permits will be introduced through a lottery
- More Electric Vehicle chargers in public and parking, and private parking
- A new parking development charge for private vehicles that isn’t available to the public
At a recent event, CUMTA’s member-secretary, I Jeyakumar, expressed concern that many citizens own multiple private vehicles with little or no guaranteed parking space, which led to congested roads. The Chennai parking policy is aimed at putting more accountability into the use of parking while assuring ownership.
Shared Parking and Residential Permits
The policy will also allow shared parking locations and solutions and alternatives to just parking spaces in malls, private buildings, and gated communities. These arrangements are in line with urban-level planning in general. The overall mall parking rules have now been updated to optimize commercial zone usage to a better extent.
For those who do not have private parking facilities at their apartment complex or residential area, the government will introduce residential parking permits. The schemes involve identification of locations to be prescribed as wide-road residential zones, with permits being randomly assigned to applicants.
Improvements for EV InfrastructureÂ
| Aspect | Details |
| Reason for Policy Inclusion | Increase in electric private vehicle use as a dominant movement in Chennai |
| Policy Requirement | Minimum of 20% of off-street parking spaces must include EV charge stations |
| Application Domain | Public and private off-street parking facilities |
| Purpose | Support Tamil Nadu’s green mobility and sustainable mobility objectives |
Rules and Payments
The policy will be a part of the Tamil Nadu Combined Development Building Rules, 2019 and amendments will include words for shared parking. In addition, the mall parking rules were rated as a part of the new parking development fees; however, this would also extend to private parking (e.g., buildings that restrict public access to their parking) regardless if they offer the public access to their parking. The funds collected for the parking development fees will be allocated to improve public transport (e.g., bus), pedestrian pathways, and cycle infrastructure to create a sustainable Chennai.
Why is it Important
Chennai currently has an estimated registered private vehicle count of 92 lakh as of 2022. Even so, only 14,000 of those registered private vehicles are active public parking spaces, leaving public parking demand over 30 lakh spaces. The uncontrolled on-street parking has contributed to a growing parking problem and congestion making driving in Chennai challenging if not impossible during commutes. The policy for Chennai parking proposes an attractive solution to the parking problem.
Parking Management System by NoBrokerHood
With NoBrokerHood’s Parking Management System, residential society vehicle access and parking in gated communities can be managed in a smart and secure manner. The NoBrokerHood app allows residents to register vehicles digitally and have access via their RFID or License Plate number, eliminating the need for residents to manually check at the entry gates.
Similarly, NoBrokerHood’s Parking Management System can manage visitor parking by enabling residents to pre-approve guests before they arrive and allows real time tracking of available visitor parking spaces, which helps maintain a level of control over unauthorized access and parking confusion. In addition, society admin can assign and reassign parking slots based on the rules of the society, such as stilt parking or tandem parking, and all vehicle entries and exits will be recorded digitally to create better security.
If installed with boom barriers, this will also create a seamless entry and exit process for registered vehicles, even charging slot management capabilities will allow societies help in their sustainability initiatives, while enabling wireless backups to be created for extra access control. Ideally, NoBrokerHood‘s solution creates less chaos, provides an element of transparency, and helps better utilize parking in gated communities.
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FAQs
1. What is the new proof-of-parking requirement in Chennai?
Proof of a permissible location, typically, a dedicated parking space, is required before someone can register a new vehicle to restrict roadside parking and congestion.
2. How will this initiative help reduce congestion in Chennai?
It restricts cars from parking on the side of the road, it allows for a vehicle to be driven rather than abandoned, while also supporting public transport, and other space sharing parking arrangements with malls and private buildings.
3. If I own a car but do not have private parking, what are my parking options?
You are allowed to apply for a residential parking permit by winning a lottery in predetermined parking zones throughout the city.
4. What are the new parking rules in relation to mall parking, as part of the new parking policy in Chennai?
The new mall parking rules provide for shared parking associations in commercial buildings allowing the public use of spaces not in private use, and if a mall does not offer public parking use of a business parking lot or space, they may be charged a parking access impact or parking development fee.
5. What does the Chennai parking policy mean for private vehicle owners?
The parking policy in Chennai states that vehicle owners must be able to show proof, a spot they will park at, before they register the new vehicle.