Shimla Municipal Corporation Struggles to Track Parking Spaces in the City

Shimla, December 22: The Shimla Municipal Corporation (MC) is facing a serious challenge in managing the city’s parking spaces, as it lacks clear records of how many parking lots are available and how many are vacant. During a meeting of the Finance Contract Committee on Saturday, MC Mayor Surender Chauhan inquired about the status of parking spaces in the capital, only to receive conflicting figures from various officials.

The Estate Branch reported that the city has parking facilities for approximately 5,000 vehicles, while the Road and Building Construction Branch presented a higher number. This discrepancy in data led to confusion and frustration during the meeting. The Mayor expressed his dissatisfaction with the lack of a definitive answer and criticized the officials for not having a clear record of the city’s parking infrastructure. He emphasized that the Municipal Corporation should at least know the exact number of parking spaces it manages.

To address the issue, the Mayor instructed that a complete record of parking spaces be presented by the next meeting. He also formed a committee, chaired by the Joint Commissioner, to oversee this task. Mayor Chauhan further stated that parking in the city has the potential to generate significant revenue—up to six crores annually—but this income is currently not being realized.

Another challenge faced by the corporation is the difficulty in securing contractors to manage the parking lots in various wards of the city. Despite seeking direct applications from the public, only a few applications have been received for parking management in most wards, making it harder for the MC to operate these spaces. Moreover, the shortage of staff further complicates the situation. Additionally, the allocation of yellow line parking spaces remains pending in several areas, exacerbating the parking problem.