Nagpur earmarks 83,750 sqm for street parking to ease congestion – ET Auto

Under the initiative, white lines—diagonal for wide roads and parallel for narrow lanes—were painted to create uniform parking bays.

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With the number of vehicles on Nagpur’s roads crossing 21 lakh, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) decided to decongest roads by earmarking over 83,750 square metres of space for organised street parking. This includes newly marked slots for 13,500 two-wheelers and 4,000 four-wheelers spread across 51 prime stretches on 75 surveyed roads.Under the initiative, white lines—diagonal for wide roads and parallel for narrow lanes—were painted to create uniform parking bays. Each two-wheeler slot measures 1×2.5m (2.5sqm), and each four-wheeler slot 5×2.5m (12.5sqm). These changes, implemented under the guidance of municipal commissioner and administrator Abhijeet Chaudhari, are already drawing a positive response from vehicle users, especially in commercial zones that lack formal parking lots.However, the current provision is a fraction of the actual need. With an estimated 12 lakh two-wheelers and 6 lakh four-wheelers, the city would require more than 10.5 million sqm—or 1,050 hectares—of parking space if all vehicles were to be accommodated at once. That includes 300ha for two-wheelers and 750ha for four-wheelers. In comparison, the 83,750 sqm now available covers just 0.8 per cent of that demand.Adding to the pressure is the steady migration of people from surrounding districts and states to Nagpur, which expanded the floating and resident vehicle base beyond just the registered count.Still, NMC officials view this as a critical first step. “This initiative is expected to reduce traffic congestion caused by haphazard parking. It will also help citizens develop the habit of parking only at designated spots, freeing up space on the roads and making footpaths safer and more accessible for pedestrians,” said Executive Engineer Ravindra Bundhade.He also urged citizens to cooperate: “We appeal to people to use the designated parking slots properly and follow traffic rules to support the city’s development.”

The designated spaces cover high-traffic corridors such as Mate Chowk to Pratap Nagar, Medical Square to Krida Chowk, Jaripatka to Itwari, Ravi Nagar to Ramnagar, and over 47 more locations.

Experts believe the city now needs to scale up further with multi-level parking structures, underground lots, and tighter integration with public transport to truly address the growing urban parking crisis.