Car buyers in Maharashtra may face a new hurdle—they might be required to provide proof of a parking space before purchasing their dream car. Pratap Sarnaik, Maharashtra’s transport minister, believes that this new traffic policy could help in easing traffic, particularly in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). He further explained that the state government is working on constructing parking lots. This directive was issued following a high-level meeting focused on improving the state’s urban space management strategy.
New de-congestion policy: What should you know?
The state minister of transport explained that the new policy is all about managing city space and reduce traffic congestion. “We are looking to construct parking spaces. Development rules should be followed, and developers must provide parking with flats. We will not register new vehicles if the buyer doesn’t have a certificate of parking space allotment from the concerned civic body,” said Sarnaik.
Speaking to the media, Sarnaik said that due to the ever-increasing population and access to car loans, Maharashtra roads get clogged with traffic. “Maharashtra’s roads are facing tremendous strain due to the growing population and the easy availability of vehicle loans from sellers and banks,” Sarnaik told CNN-News18. “This has led to a severe traffic crisis in cities, with streets congested by vehicles causing frequent bottlenecks,” he added.
This will not be the first in the country, as Chennai has already introduced such a policy where proof of parking is mandatory. This keeps a check on limiting the number of vehicles in a locality based on the infrastructure and keeps a strict check on illegal parking beside the road.
To tackle the ongoing parking crisis in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), the Urban Development Department is preparing a new proposal that would allow the development of underground parking facilities beneath designated recreational grounds. This initiative aims to significantly increase parking capacity while preserving the city’s green spaces.
Pod taxi service in the pipeline
The State Minister of Transport said the government has plans to launch a pod taxi system. Sarnaik explained, “A presentation on the pod taxi project was made to me. I have visited Vadodara, which is set to host the world’s first commercially ready suspended pod-car transport system.”
