The document discusses the problems of parking in marketplaces in India. With the rapid increase in vehicle ownership, finding parking spaces in markets has become increasingly difficult. This causes issues for drivers trying to park, and pedestrians navigating crowded streets. The document examines different parking solutions that have been used in other countries and proposes that India needs to implement parking management strategies rather than just increasing supply. These could include pricing tools, reserved spaces, and policies to encourage alternative transportation over private vehicles.

1. Parking in market places - Its problems and solutions
School of Planning and Architecture, Bhopal
Omkar Parishwad
Angita Das
Abstract
Amongst the various localities to which a vehicle frequents, the most extensive is in the
market place. With the near exponential increase in the number of vehicles and the limited
space available for its mobility and parking, the problem of finding space for car park is
increasing and hence the subject gaining importance in today’s scenario. In order to find
probable solutions to car parking to facilitate a hassle free vehicular and pedestrian
movement an in depth study needs to be done. Along with the comfort of pedestrians, the ease
to park for the car drivers also needs to be stressed. The above-mentioned aspects of parking
in markets are considered with examples to aid it’s in depth study.
Introduction
The growth in the number of private car owners and the demand for car parking has increased
manifold. The speed of this change is scary. It took 30 years for India to reach the first
million mark for personal vehicles in 1971. In 1981-1991, India added another 14 million.
Out of this, the amount of time that a vehicle frequents market places is the maximum. Due to
unavailability of space in parking, people park their vehicles in undesignated parking areas
thus causing problem to other car drivers, pedestrians and this leading to traffic jam.
Providing more roads and more space for individual parking cannot be the solution. We still
have the time to act and prevent the future explosion. If we plan alternative mobility systems,
we can avoid car centric growth. Indian cities already have a huge strength in the usage of
public transport and in its tradition of walking and cycling. Indian cities need mobility, not
cars.
Out of the different locations to which a vehicle frequents its use is most extensive in market
places. These market places are where the buzz of all the activities takes place. It contains
shops, commercial establishments, retail outlets, street vendors etc. One goes to marketplaces
more than often for his daily needs, for leisure, special purposes, for some events organised
during festive season. Therefore, the basic types of parking in a market place are surface
parking, underground parking and multilevel parking. Again, with the growing complexities
of parking problems another set of parking types have come into existence e.g. valet parking
stacked parking etc.
1

2. The Cr
risis
1.1 Per
rsonal vehic domina parking areas
cles ate g
The pub transpo buses occupy just ab
blic ort bout 3 per cent of the road space b meet more than
c r but m
60 per c
cent of the t
travel dema in the ci occupy barely 4 to 5 per cent of the total ECS of
and ity, o l
the park
king spaces. However, cars and tw wheelers that occup more than 90 per cen of the
wo s py n nt
road space meet on 20 per cent of the travel dema
nly c and. In mos commerc sites, pa
st cial arking is
encroacching upon open and pedestrian spaces especially along the roads enda
n d n e a angering
pedestri
ians.
The nea exponen
ar ntial increase in person vehicle ownership and the lim
nal mited space for the
e
mobility of cars an parking is causing a serious problem acro the big and small cities of
y nd oss
India. G
Graph 1 shows the increease in pers
sonal vehicl all over India.
les I
Swena Gulati. Parking polic
Source: S cy in Delhi, CRR
RI, New Delhi,
, 2009, 15‐18.
.
1.2 Dem
mand for la
and
Cars us up dispr
se roportionate huge sp
ely pace not only when on road in market pl
o n laces. A
preliminnary estima shows th the total amount of land that is currently r
ate hat required to keep the
k
entire fl of perso vehicle parked on the surfac is already enormous..
fleet onal es n ce y
1.3 Mis
suse of park
king spaces in market
s t/commercial areas
Misuse of parking premises in buildings i common in marketplaces. Parki spaces in public
n is ing i
building and near retail outl are bein used for uses other than parki
gs r lets ng r r ing. This is largely
s
undocummented prooblem and no numbers are availab and the resultant sp over of vehicles
n ble, pill
outside the premise is not bei assessed in comme
es ing d ercial and of
ffice areas.
2

3. Table 1 shows us t use of ve
the ehicles and their parkin standards in differen land uses
ng s nt s.
tands for eq
(ECS st quitable car space)
Todd Littman. Victoria Tran
Source: T nsport Policy In
nstitute. Parking Managem
ment, New Dellhi, 2002, 25‐3
30.
rking in ma
1.4 Par arket places
s
Differen systems h
nt have been developed to counter th problem of parking in market places in
d o he p
various countries in the world Different types of pa
d. arking patter like perp
rns rpendicular parking,
parallel parking, m
l multilevel parking syste
ems, valet parking etc has been tried and te
c. ested. A
wide vaariety of pa
arking pricin tools an parking managemen tools hav been ado
ng nd m nt ve opted by
differen governme to redu parking demand an congestio There ar reserved parking
nt ents uce nd on. re
spaces f car pool in city and state ga
for lers a arages, and in on-street metered sp
i paces.
Parking demand is gregariou aggressiv and insatiable. No amount of parking provision
g s us, ve, f
can help to satisfy the growin demand. Parking provision sh
p y ng . hould work on the prin
nciple of
parking restraint to put brake on car g
g es growth. Pro
ovide parkin not to in
ng ncite more parking
demand but to ma
d anage and restrain its provision to meet the immediat need but also to
r e te t
discourage people from using personal veehicle.
usions
Conclu
• Current paarking plannning pract
tices in maarketplaces are ineffi
icient, resu
ulting in
excessive p
parking supp and incr
ply reased autom
mobile traff
fic.
• There are sstrategies th are techn
hat nically feasi
ible, cost ef
ffective, and can provid many
d de
benefits to users. A wide variety of parking pricing to
w y g ools and pa arking manaagement
tools have been adop pted by diff
ferent gove ernments to reduce pa
o arking demand and
congestion. .
• Parking, la
and use an transport
nd tation plann
ning decisi ions are in
ntertwined. Parking
managemen therefore must be planned as part of an integrate effort to reduce
nt e s a ed o
parking suupply and encourage u of alte
e use ernative tra
ansport mod des. These require
coordinated parking, la use and transport policy reform which w lead to changes
d and d p ms, will
in physical design as well.
w
• Parking deemand is gregarious, aggressive, and insati
g , amount of parking
iable. No a
provision c help to satisfy the g
can s growing dem
mand.
3

4. • We still ha the time to act and prevent th future exp
ave e d he plosion. If w plan alt
we ternative
mobility syystems, we can avoid c centric growth. Ind cities a
car g dian already have a huge
e
strength in the usage of public tr ransport and in its trad
d dition of wa alking and cycling.
Indian citie need mob
es bility, not c
cars. Parkin provision should wo on the principle
ng n ork p
of parking rrestraint to put brakes o car grow
on wth.
• Provide paarking not to incite mo parking demand but to mana and res
t ore g b age strain its
provision t meet the immediat need but also to discourage p
to e te t d people from using
m
personal ve
ehicle.
Figure 1 showing t Study methodology for parking problems in India.
the m y g
nces
Referen
Books
Todd Littm
man. Victori Transport Policy Ins
ia rt stitute. Park
king Manag
gement, New Delhi,
w
2002, 25-30
0.
Swena Gulati. Parking policy in D
g Delhi, CRRI New Delh 2009, 15
I, hi, 5-18.
Journa
als
Centre for Science an Environ
nd nment. Park
king Measu
ures to redu mobility crisis.
uce
New Delhi, (2001): 45
, 5-48.
4

5. Table 2 shows us the parking manageme standard and strategies in diffe
2. g ent ds e ferent land uses.
u
Source: P
Parking policy in Delhi, CR New Delh 2009.
y RRI, hi,
5