Working Paper Series Parking Space in Kochi: Issues and Solutions Zeenab Aneez November 2010 Centre for Public Policy Research ©Copyrights Reserved For more information, please contact Centre for Public Policy Research, Door No 28/3656, Sonoro Church Road, Elamkulam, Kochi, Kerala, 682 020 India. Telephone: +91 484 6469177, Fax +91 0484 2323895, E-mail:
[email protected] . Or visit the CPPR website at http://www.cppr.in/ Abstract All of India’s cities face an urban transport crisis. While issues such as poor connectivity, bad road quality, traffic congestion, air and noise pollution are constantly talked about, parking is seen as one having negligible effect on the quality of urban transport. The MV Asia study on parking in Mumbai shows that a car spends only 4 per cent of its life in motion and the remaining 96 per cent of the time it is parked (Mumbai Transformation Support Unit 2008) . With the increasing trend in the growth of private vehicles, it is imperative that parking be seen as an important factor for making an efficient transportation system within our cities. In India, parking falls into two categories – Off-street parking and On-street parking. Off-street parking facilities have become popular and are being used by private parties such as shopping malls, theatres and office complexes that recognize parking as a variable that has considerable effect on their success as an enterprise. Customers and/or employees view parking space as a value add to the organisation’s product or service, as they are ensured safe and convenient vehicle parking. The company receives competitive advantage in return.