Chandigarh, Oct 24 — The Municipal Corporation’s Smart Parking project has once again run into delays, with officials deciding to present the plan to newly appointed Chief Secretary H. Rajesh Prasad before proceeding further. The decision follows a recent communication from the UT administration seeking a detailed report on the project, which has been pending since 2022.
Instead of responding in writing, the MC has opted for a formal presentation to the new chief secretary, detailing the project’s progress, challenges and proposed course of action. “Only after this presentation, the MC will move ahead with the next steps of finalising the request for proposal (RFP) of the project and tabling it in the general house meeting,” an official noted.
Launched in August 2022, the Smart Parking plan was envisioned to revamp all 89 paid parking lots in Chandigarh through FASTag-based, cashless systems and real-time monitoring. But nearly three years on, the city’s parking attendants still rely on manual slips, with little progress on the ground.
The plan was earlier placed before the MC House in July 2023, leading to approval of new parking rates a year later in July 2024. However, the process of awarding the contract to a private firm hit a dead end over GST, stamp duty, and MoU technicalities. The House later scrapped the old proposal and directed officials to draft a fresh version with corrected terms and rates.
To ease the delay’s impact, the MC is also planning a citywide monthly parking pass. Under the proposed model, a car pass will cost ₹500, and a two-wheeler pass ₹250, with unlimited access to all paid lots. Officials project that if 50,000 commuters buy these passes, annual earnings could reach ₹30 crore—far above the current monthly collection of ₹50–₹80 lakh.
Once implemented, the Smart Parking system is expected to bring in nearly ₹50 crore annually and streamline parking across Chandigarh.
