In three months, the city will have its first set of automated parking slots for cars.
Chennai Corporation plans to commission 2,000 parking slots in 147 locations across the city. There will be two ways to use the automated parking system. The users will have to either register online with the company to be selected or will have the option of using pre-paid coupons. They can pay using their mobiles.
For online registration, the user will have to provide car number, name and mobile number. Each of the parking slots in the city will also have a unique parking lot number. The registered users will pay parking charges at the end of the month based on their use of parking space in the city, civic officials said.
After parking the car in a designated slot, the driver will send SMS of the parking lot number to the company. The automated system will calculate the amount to be paid by the vehicle. Each car will pay Rs. 5 per hour of parking on the slot. The amount will be deducted from the registered account of the car owner on a monthly basis. Parking of autos and motorcycles will be free of cost, officials add.
For the other option, pre-paid coupons will be sold at kiosks across the city. Users of such pre-paid coupons will send the 16 digit number on the coupon, parking lot number and car number to parking company through SMS. The amount will be deducted from the coupon for such users. The parking company will also create an application for smart phone.
“Smart phone users need not even type the parking lot number as the web application will be GPS enabled,” said an official. A private firm will shortly be chosen for implementation of the automated system, he added. Traffic police and Chennai Corporation are likely to decide on fine for violators after government approval.
