DEHRADUN: To rid the city of its
parking woes, the Mussoorie
Dehradun Development Authority (MDDA) has collaborated with an
Uttarakhand government PSU, BRIDCUL, to develop the state’s
first app-based smart parking for the city.
According to MDDA officials, the primary work of identifying the spots and getting clearance has already been complete and now BRIDCUL is working on the infrastructure development as well as back-end support for the app which will be used to monitor the status of parking.
“We have identified 27 parking zones, including Ashtley Hall, Clock Tower, Gandhi Park and Silver City Complex. In these 27 zones, there will be space to park around 450 big cars. The BRIDCUL is now installing CCTV cameras and censors on the spots to monitor the flow of vehicles. Around 27 guards have been hired for the spots and we are hopeful that everything will be completed within a week,” MDDA system administrator Sanjeevan Soontha said, adding that this will be the first of its kind initiative in the state.
Explaining how the app will function, Soontha said, “On entering a location, the app will display the nearest available parking spots. Residents can book the parking spot using the app and pay online or in cash. Tourists can also book a spot in advance.”
An MDDA official said that the spots will be maintained by BRIDCUL and the revenue will be divided between the MDDA and BRIDCUL. “The BRIDCUL will be tasked with the management of the spots and they will share 30% of the revenue with the MDDA. The pricing is yet to be finalised.”
The official added that depending on the app’s success the MDDA will plan similar spots at other locations.
Rajesh Narula, a resident of Cross Road, said, “The concept of
app-based parking is very good provided it is in our budget and maintained well by the MDDA. However, I wonder if the project will be implemented within a week before the Diwali rush as claimed by the officials. If it’s done, it will be a boon for the city which sees traffic jams every day and more during tourist season.”