A modern parking management system is expected to be launched in congested areas of the city.
| Photo Credit: S.R. RAGHUNATHAN

The Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (CUMTA) has decided to hike the on-street parking charges for two-wheelers in congested areas by 300% in the city. The charges have risen from ₹5 per hour to ₹20 per hour. The off-street parking charges for two-wheelers have also been increased by 100%, going from ₹5 per hour to ₹10 per hour.

The on-street parking charges for cars have been increased by 100% in such congested areas, increasing the charges from ₹20 per hour to ₹40 per hour. However, CUMTA has not increased the off-street parking charges for cars, with the tariff remaining unchanged at ₹20 per hour.

Twenty years ago, two-wheelers were exempt from parking charges and the Greater Chennai Corporation permitted them to park on the streets, after former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa supported the move, saying it would help the economically weaker sections.

The GCC Council on Thursday passed a resolution approving the revised parking charges in areas such as Anna Nagar, covering 43.6 km of roads, pointing to the rise in traffic congestion. A modern parking management system is expected to be launched in such congested areas. CUMTA has studied 19 areas in the city for parking management as part of the efforts to ease congestion. When the resolution was passed in the GCC Council meeting, the councillors did not oppose it.

Meanwhile, various residents’ associations have opposed the move.

Geetha Ganesh, secretary of the AGS Colony Residents’ Welfare Association, Velachery West, who was part of CUMTA’s meeting regarding the Comprehensive Mobility Plan recently, said this could be CUMTA’s plan to promote public transportation, but last-mile connectivity was not up to mark and footpaths were encroached by vendors and parked vehicles, making walking also a hassle.

V.S. Jayaraman of the T. Nagar Residents’ Welfare Association said the increase in parking charges would lead to a rise in illegal parking in residential areas.

S. Kumararaja, president of Annai Indira Nagar Residents Welfare Association, said the CUMTA’s plan to increase parking charges should not be implemented before the bus transportation system was improved. “GCC’s parking rates are so high. Two-wheeler parking at ₹20 per hour is unacceptable. The parking charges of ₹40 per hour for cars is also too high. If the government intends to reduce vehicles on the road, they should improve public transport. The economically weaker sections ride two-wheelers. They will be affected. So, we urge the government to reduce parking charges for cars and stop collecting it for two-wheelers,” he said.

K.P. Subramanian, former professor of urban engineering, Anna University, said: “Parking management is a powerful tool to promote public transportation and control personal transports such as cars and two-wheelers. Park and ride facilities at transport terminals, either free or at marginal prices, is an important requirement.”

A conservancy worker with the GCC in Egmore who rides a two-wheeler said the updated rates would be unfeasible, as they might work for hours in one area before moving to another spot and could be charged for over eight hours a day, which could strain their finances taking into account their low income. “Eight hours a day would mean roughly ₹4,000 a month, which is exorbitant for people such as us, who are in the low-income group,” he said.