Bhubaneswar: The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) is set to introduce smart parking facilities at five busy locations in the city to streamline vehicle parking and ease traffic congestion. Under the proposed system, motorists will be able to reserve parking slots through a mobile application up to two hours in advance.

The facility will also include electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, CCTV surveillance and digital payment options. Commuters will be able to obtain daily, weekly and monthly digital parking passes.

According to BMC Deputy Commissioner Suman Kishore Dungdung, the initiative aims to make better use of vacant spaces across the city while bringing parking facilities under a systematic and digital management system.

Five locations identified for smart parking

The proposed smart parking facilities will be developed at five locations:

• The stretch between Government Polytechnic and NISWASS College.

• The stretch between NISWASS College and XIMB.

• Utkal Hospital area.

• Khandagiri.

• Vacant spaces beneath the Bomikhal flyover.

Parking arrangements will be made for different categories of vehicles, ranging from two-wheelers to commercial vehicles, depending on the availability of space at each location.

The parking facilities will generally remain operational from 8 am to 8 pm, depending on the location. The civic body plans to launch the new parking system by the first week of November, Dungdung said.

Advance booking and digital payments

Under the new system, vehicle owners will be able to book parking slots online up to two hours before their arrival. Once a slot is booked, an alert message will be sent to their mobile phones.

Motorists can use the message to access the reserved parking space and will also receive a digital receipt.

The system will accept only digital payments. Smart benches, EV charging points and CCTV cameras will also be installed at parking locations, depending on the availability of space.

More locations may be covered later

The BMC is planning the initiative particularly in view of the growing traffic congestion in areas such as Cuttack Road and Khandagiri. At present, several flyovers in Bhubaneswar have virtually turned into unofficial parking lots and garages. A large number of vehicles are regularly parked beneath the flyovers at Laxmisagar, Bomikhal, Khandagiri and VSS Nagar.

By introducing organised parking facilities at such locations, the BMC hopes to regulate vehicle parking, reduce traffic-related problems and generate revenue for the civic body.

If the initiative proves successful at the initial five locations, the corporation plans to extend the smart parking system to other parts of the city.