The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is advancing a smart parking project first proposed in 2020. The civic body is finalising a consultant to develop a centralised digital dashboard listing all parking spaces and accessible via a mobile application or web portal. Motorists will be able to view available spaces and reserve slots in advance. The standing committee approved the proposal and the initial budget is Rs 30 million (mn).

At present BMC manages more than 350 on street sites and 26 off street parking lots, and residential associations will be encouraged to share spaces during daytime. With vehicle numbers rising the city faces a parking shortage and high land scarcity; government figures show about 2,300 cars per kilometre of road, up from 1,840 in 2019 and 1,150 in 2014. The Regional Transport Office recorded 0.302 million (mn) new vehicle registrations in 2025, an increase of 8.24 per cent from the previous year.

The dashboard will consolidate information from BMC facilities and private spaces including shopping malls and commercial plazas, allowing users to see available slots and book preferred spaces online. The system will also suggest alternative options such as public transport if nearby parking is unavailable, helping to reduce congestion in busy areas. Officials expect the platform to improve transparency and optimise utilisation of existing parking stock.

The BMC plans to develop the dashboard within the next year and will launch a pilot in five wards, two in the western suburbs, two in the island city and one in the eastern suburbs. Civic authorities expect the system to improve the efficiency of parking management, shorten the time motorists spend searching for parking and ease traffic flow across the city. The project is regarded as a step towards integrating smart technology into broader urban mobility solutions.