

Problems faced by Drivers in finding parking spots
THERE A LOT OF PROBLEMS THESE DAYS OF WHICH ONE IS FINDING PARKING , OH MY GOD WHAT A TOUGH SCENARIO WE FACE, IS IT? yes Today, urban areas face tremendous pressure on parking spaces, resulting in issues such as traffic congestion, disproportionate demand and supply, and environmental hazards, to name a few. Because of poor parking management and policy, India struggles with chaotic situations like overcrowded footpaths, illegal parking, and criminal activities due to improper surveillance. Let’s take a look at some of the most pressing parking problems facing Indian metropolises today..
One of the most common problems today is a saturation of parking spaces. Vehicles continue to outnumber existing parking spaces, thus clogging roads. Incidences of violence over occupancy, deformed cars due to a space crunch, and overcharging for parking are some problems that result. Most cities propose increasing parking spaces to combat the problem. Parks and vacant plots are used as potential parking spaces and multi-level facilities are being built, irrespective of the limited land space and resources. However, some academics like Donald Shoup stand firmly opposed to this approach,

An unregulated tariff structure leads to a scarcity of parking spaces. In Indian metros, parking is either free or minimally priced, the fees being unregulated for many years now. For instance, Mumbai charges the same parking fee as it did 20 years ago and has one of the lowest tariffs in the world. Because parking price stops After a certain period of time, the longer one stays in a parking space, the less one has to pay. In Sarojini Nagar in Delhi, parking price is a meager Rs. 20 per hour with a standard fee of Rs. 100 for 24 hours, making parking even cheaper.
Another problem that arises due to a lack of parking spaces in Indian cities is cruising i.e. vehicles looking for a parking space causing long queues, congestion, and pollution. Typically when free on-street parking isn’t available, drivers choose to cruise instead of paying for parking. By underpricing on-street parking, Indian metros create an economic incentive to cruise. Once occupied, low-cost parking isn’t vacated for hours and instances have been recorded of cars being parked for days.
Residential apartments in Indian metros almost always see the construction of parking spaces due to the notion that residential plans without them will not attract buyers. This increases the overall cost of construction which becomes even worse when parking spaces go unoccupied. Because parking construction costs are the same regardless of whether the building is a luxury high-rise or modest apartments, lower-income residents, who are less likely to own cars, end up shouldering the burden of parking costs, effectively subsidizing parking for other people. Residents also often suffer from spillover parking because of commercial visitors and excessive vehicle ownership.
Parking lots accumulate a lot of pollutants that do not get absorbed and are thus flushed into water bodies during the rains. They also contribute to the production of sulfur dioxide and particulate matter, which have adverse health effects. The demand for parking in Indian metros is seeing no signs of stopping. Because land resources are limited, it isn’t possible to conveniently plan parking spaces according to demand. Instead of increasing available parking spaces, an effective technology-based solution must be employed to optimize the use of available spaces. Using sensor and software, smart parking solutions can provide both parking operators and drivers with a real-time map of available spaces
