Chennai's first Smart Parking in Anna Nagar from Sept; Rs 40/hr for cars, Rs 20/hr for 2-wheelers

CHENNAI: The Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (CUMTA) conducted a public stakeholders meeting on Saturday in Anna Nagar on its plan to execute the city’s first smart parking solution in the area. CUMTA had also invited other stakeholder departments including GCC) and the Greater Chennai Traffic Police for the meeting. The parking management plan is to be implemented from September 2025.

While the residents’ welfare associations (RWAs) and vending committee members attended, vendors did not turn up for the meeting held at the Regional Deputy Commissioner (Central) office in Shenoy Nagar. There were 60 participants at the meeting, and the voices of RWAs stood out.

“Vending zone permission was allotted for 5th Avenue and 15th Main Road, Anna Nagar. But all the streets here are encroached by food vendors. Generally, street vendors have to constantly move from one place to another. But in Anna Nagar, they all stick to a permanent place, especially on the footpaths,” lamented Sandhya Vedullapillai, secretary of Federation of Annanagar Residents Associations (FOARA).

Concurring with her was Councillor N Adiyaman of Ward 105, who added: “Owners of houses and automobile showrooms in Anna Nagar are extending their ramp on to the footpaths, and use it as a parking space.”

In Anna Nagar, three places can be utilised as multilevel parking. R Sukumar, president of FOARA, suggested that Anna Nagar East bus stand and Anna Nagar Tower Park could be utilised as multilevel car parking areas.

However, his suggestion was countered by KJ Praveen Kumar, regional deputy commissioner (Central), GCC. “The Kodambakkam multilevel parking has remained untouched and rarely used by the public,” he pointed out.

CUMTA has done a 25-km road mapping for on-street smart parking across primary and secondary streets. On average, in terms of demand, approximately 5,000 vehicles are parked daily in the area, with above 3,000 during peak hours. Whereas, 2,000 parking slots have to be demarcated, 70% on major roads on 2nd, 3rd and 6th Avenues.

CUMTA will collect Rs 60/hr for trucks, Rs 40/hr for cars and Rs 20/hr for two-wheelers. As many as 100 trained marshals will be deployed in two shifts, each managing 500 metres. Equipped with bodycams, camera-based non-payment for over 3 hours will result in wheel clamping. No parking within 20 m of bus stops or 100 m of schools. Designated pickup or drop-off bays for safe access.

MK Mohan, MLA (Anna Nagar constituency), KJ Praveen Kumar, Jeyakumar I (IRTS); CK Ravi, member secretary, CUMTA; Adiyaman assistant commissioner (Traffic), and Councillor J Pushpalatha, Ward 102, and executive engineer of Zone 8, special projects department (GCC), officers of Zone 8, and several officials from CUMTA participated in the meeting.