The app, released as part of the civic body’s ‘On Street Smart Parking Management System’, can be used to find a parking slot near your destination and pay for it

Finding a parking slot on the busy Pondy Bazaar stretch or in Purasaiwalkam may soon not be as much of a hassle as it is now. Just download the Greater Chennai Corporation Smart Parking (GCC Smart Parking) mobile application, find your parking slot and pay the fee either with cash or by card to the parking attendant on that particular stretch.

The Corporation, along with S.S. Tech and Toorkmedia Services, has started implementing the ‘On Street Smart Parking Management System’ in 7,667 slots across Chennai from Friday. The facility is now available on roads in localities including Pondy Bazaar, Besant Nagar, Purasaiwalkam and Anna Nagar.

As of now there are 7,667 parking slots in the city and the number will be increased to 23,000 in the next three months after permission is obtained from the highways department for stretches on Old Mahabalipuram Road, Ennore High Road and other highways.

“A total of 500 cameras have been installed now to monitor the occupancy/vacancy of parking slots. This number will be increased to 680 in the coming days. The cameras can capture multiple slots depending on the type of parking: parallel parking - 6, angular parking - 10 and perpendicular - 16,” said M. Tamil Arasan, director, Toorkmedia Services.

A total of 58 attendants, wearing uniform with the GCC logo, caps and shoes have been appointed to collect the parking fees. “As of now for cars its is ₹20 per hour and ₹5 per hour for two wheelers. The motorist can either pay through card or cash. They can park the vehicle for a maximum of eight hours and beyond this, the motorist will be first educated on the parking norms and a penalty will be imposed if he does it again,” he added.

If all the slots are filled in a particular area, especially during festive seasons, the mobile application will show parking available in inner streets. “We have identified 10,000 such slots across the city. The motorist will have to park and walk to their destination,” said a Chennai Corporation official.

Officials added that they will start clamping down on vehicles parked on the pavement in the coming days. “The main aim of this project is to reduce traffic woes and haphazard parking and allow pedestrians also to move freely,” explained Raj Cherubal, CEO, Chennai Smart City Ltd.,

Urban planning experts say users will receive clear directions about the next available parking slot using the mobile application. “They will no longer need to drive around in circles looking for a parking slot,” said Aswathy Dilip from the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy.