Kolkata Municipal Corporation is preparing to relaunch an app-based system to curb illegal parking, with the civic body and Kolkata Police seeking to fix the technical and administrative problems that affected an earlier plan. The proposed system is intended to identify unauthorised parking, make fees clearer and improve enforcement across the city.
Illegal parking remains a recurring problem on Kolkata’s roads, where vehicles are often parked in rows along both sides of streets. Two-wheelers and cars are also frequently left on footpaths, reducing the space available for pedestrians. The civic body’s latest plan requires vehicles to be parked only in designated and approved areas.
The initiative is also linked to longstanding concerns about transparency in parking operations. Although the city has identified locations where parking is permitted, the rules are not consistently followed, according to the report. The new system is expected to show parking locations, applicable charges and information related to illegal parking through a common technology platform.
The Kolkata Municipal Corporation and Kolkata Police are working together on the proposed arrangement. Parking areas will be required to display their hourly fees clearly. Personnel responsible for parking management will also have to wear designated uniforms and carry photo identity cards, according to information from civic sources cited in the report.
The civic body has said that vehicles and motorcycles parked on footpaths will not be permitted under the new approach. The app is expected to support monitoring of parking locations and charges, while also helping authorities respond to violations. The plan, however, does not include a launch date in the information currently available.
The proposed relaunch follows an earlier announcement in December 2023 by then-mayor Firhad Hakim. That plan envisaged a system linking the state transport department, Kolkata Municipal Corporation and Kolkata Police. If a vehicle was found parked illegally, details were expected to be sent to the concerned departments through the app.
The earlier proposal also included sending penalty messages to vehicle owners using registration numbers. The fine was expected to increase if it was not paid within seven days. If a penalty remained unpaid for up to a year, the vehicle owner could have faced difficulties obtaining required clearances, according to the earlier plan. The system was not implemented in practice, the report said.
The new initiative is therefore being designed around the shortcomings of the previous proposal. Its effectiveness will depend on whether approved parking locations are accurately mapped, enforcement responsibilities are clearly assigned and penalty information reaches vehicle owners reliably. For pedestrians, the immediate test will be whether the system can prevent vehicles from occupying footpaths and other spaces meant for walking.
The municipal corporation and police are continuing work on the revised technology system. Further details on the app’s launch, participating departments and enforcement process are yet to be announced.
