Ahmedabad: Hunting for a parking space in the city could soon become far less frustrating. The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation’s Smart City Ahmedabad Development Limited (SCADL) is preparing to launch an AI-powered video analytics platform that will provide motorists with real-time parking availability across 135 parking locations in the city by March.The civic body has already floated a request for proposal (RFP) to appoint an agency for implementing the system. The project will involve installing CCTV cameras at all identified parking sites and integrating live feeds into a single digital platform that citizens can access through a mobile application.Officials said the project will cover on-street parking, off-street facilities, pay-and-park spaces under bridges and multi-level parking complexes spread across Ahmedabad. Several designated free parking plots will also be integrated into the system. The proposed network will cover parking capacity for 35,237 two-wheelers and 11,583 four-wheelers across 135 locations in the city.After the tender was floated, several participating agencies raised technical queries regarding the project, prompting authorities to extend the submission deadline. Proposals are now scheduled to be submitted on May 16, and physical bids will be opened the same day.An AMC official said the civic body had experimented with a parking information system nearly five years ago through a pilot project linking select parking facilities to a mobile application. However, that system only displayed estimated slot availability without live video verification, resulting in mismatches between the displayed and actual parking status. “The earlier system lacked live CCTV integration, which often created discrepancies in availability information. The new AI-based system will provide live feed-backed parking updates,” the official said.The upcoming platform will include parking facilities located in areas such as Naranpura, Maninagar, Relief Road and Sindhu Bhavan Road, along with newly developed multi-level parking projects.Officials said the broader objective is to create a citywide intelligent parking management system that allows commuters to identify available parking spaces online in real time while also improving enforcement and traffic movement.The move is part of Ahmedabad’s larger parking reform plan initiated after the state govt approved the city’s parking policy in Oct 2021. Following the policy approval, a dedicated parking cell comprising AMC officials, traffic police, Regional Transport Office representatives and technical experts was formed to implement parking regulations and strengthen enforcement mechanisms.The city is also working on long-term parking planning based on future traffic requirements. Draft parking plans for three zones in western Ahmedabad are currently under preparation. Once implemented, the plan is expected to increase organized on-street parking capacity while also tightening action against illegal parking. Officials believe the proposed AI-driven platform could become a key tool in streamlining urban parking management and reducing road congestion across busy city areas.
