The Kolkata administration has launched a smart parking network that combines a mobile application, cashless payments and advance slot booking to streamline street parking across the city. The initiative is intended to provide drivers with live availability information and to standardise charges while reducing congestion on urban roads. It will be implemented across authorised bays managed by the municipal corporation and supported by enhanced enforcement measures.

Key features include real-time slot tracking that allows motorists to check availability before arrival, multiple cashless payment options such as UPI, QR codes, debit and credit cards and digital wallets. The platform will issue instant system-generated receipts aligned to government-fixed rates to deter fake paper slips, and plans are under way to enable advance reservation of parking slots. A digital vehicle identification mechanism is proposed to link authorised bays to registered vehicles for easier monitoring.

The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has identified around 15,000 parking spaces within its area, of which 9,000 to 10,000 have been formally listed for the scheme. To eliminate illicit collection syndicates and ensure revenue flows to the municipal treasury, new tenders will be issued to regularise nearly 10,000 parking spots. The move aims to stop unauthorised collectors and improve transparency in fee collection.

Kolkata Police will begin an aggressive enforcement drive from September one with a revised fine structure, immediate towing in no-parking zones and strict penalties for mounting curbs or blocking pedestrian paths. Prolonged roadside parking by commercial vehicles will attract heavier fines and the long-standing practice of parking on both sides of narrow streets will be replaced by single side regulations to keep roads open for smooth transit, the urban development minister said. The combined approach of technology, cashless transactions and firmer policing is expected to curb overcharging, reduce incidents of fake receipts and shorten the time motorists spend searching for parking. Commuters should see more orderly streets and clearer revenue accountability as the measures take effect.