Ahmedabad: Finding a designated parking space in Ahmedabad may become easier, with the civic body placing around 160 facilities on Google Maps. Motorists will be able to view their locations and get directions on their phones.While Google Maps will help users locate the facilities and does not necessarily show the number of vacant spaces at each site in real time, motorists can use the civic body’s AmdaPark app to get the details.The locations include pay-and-park plots, smart parking facilities, multi-level car parks and designated on-street parking spaces. Google Maps will display their locations and provide directions, making them easier to find for residents and visitors. The app provides details of parking facilities and, where the required systems are available, allows users to check vacancies, book spaces in advance and make digital payments, according to the civic body,The civic body expects the service to reduce the time and fuel motorists spend searching for parking. It also hopes that easier access to designated facilities will discourage vehicles from being parked randomly along roads and help reduce traffic obstruction.AMC wants malls, hospitals, multiplexes, hotels and other commercial establishments to open their parking areas to the public. Under a previously announced policy, establishments providing free public parking are eligible for a 100% property tax exemption for the portion of the property used for parking, subject to the policy’s conditions.Private property owners and commercial establishments that do not seek the exemption can also register their parking facilities on the AmdaPark app and charge users.Such operators will have to provide details including their parking capacity in equivalent car spaces (ECS), charges and real-time availability. They cannot charge more than the maximum parking rates approved by AMC for the relevant area.The civic body said the arrangement could add more parking spaces across Ahmedabad, standardise charges at participating private facilities and help motorists obtain information on prices and vacancies before reaching a parking site.
