Maharashtra To Roll Out Integrated Parking Policy, Starting With Mumbai Metropolitan Region: Minister Pratap Sarnaik

Mumbai: In a major step toward addressing unauthorized parking and growing traffic congestion in urban centers, the Maharashtra government is set to launch a comprehensive "Integrated Parking Policy," with its initial implementation planned in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). The final policy will incorporate feedback from municipal authorities and is expected to serve as a blueprint for wider implementation across Maharashtra.

Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik made the announcement during a high-level meeting with municipal commissioners from across the MMR on Monday.

The meeting, also attended by Additional Chief Secretary (Transport) Sanjay Sethi, Transport Commissioner Vivek Bhimanwar, and other senior officials, focused on gathering feedback and suggestions from local governing bodies before finalizing the policy.

Sarnaik emphasized that input from municipal commissioners—especially from areas most affected by parking issues—would be critical to ensuring the policy's effectiveness and smooth execution.

Transport minister stressed the importance of infrastructure development, urging all municipal corporations to explore the construction of underground parking facilities beneath public gardens and playgrounds. He cited the Thane Municipal Corporation’s successful underground parking initiative as a potential model for replication across other cities.

To tackle the problem of  illegal on-street parking, the minister called for strict enforcement with the active involvement of the police and transport departments. He also directed authorities to remove abandoned vehicles from roads promptly to facilitate smoother traffic movement.

In addition, Sarnaik proposed the development of parking plazas on land reserved for public utilities and urban development. He recommended adopting the Mumbai Municipal Corporation’s parking plaza policy as a benchmark to address future urban parking challenges.