Kolkata: Kolkata Traffic Police has identified around 115 probable parking spots across the city – where there is either free or illegal parking already in existence – that can be converted into authorized fee-based zones by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC).The initiative, driven by directives from the state government, aims to expand designated parking capacity, generate civic revenue, and guarantee security for parked vehicles.Each of the city’s 26 traffic guards conducted localized surveys and submitted recommendations detailing five to 25 prospective sites to police headquarters at Lalbazar. Lalbazar has formally forwarded this consolidated list to the KMC for feasibility reviews.Joint assessments indicate that select locations—including designated stretches on Amherst Street, Canal West Road, BK Pal Avenue, Camac Street, and Diamond Harbour (DH) Road—are targeted to become operational ahead of the upcoming Durga Puja festival.It is in this regard that leading traffic guards have identified key spots where such parking lots can be set up. The space under Park Street Flyover has been identified for 20 odd parking slots. Senior officers of the city police said they have proposed this parking lot opposite Kailash Building on Chowringhee Road though the elevation of the flyover will mean that numbers will remain restricted than initial calculations.Around Sealdah, Park Circus guard has asked for a parking lot close to Entally Market, a KMDA plot now used by KMC. The Shyambazar guard has identified a spot on spot sides of APC Road, further north from Khanna Crossing (towards Shyambazar).The Jorabagan Traffic guard has proposed a few bylanes which witness residential parking but can accommodate commercial ones too. This includes one Hula Shia lane at Malapara that can cater to the Posta parking pressure.According to various traffic guards, the spaces have been proposed keeping three things in mind – the demand for parking, whether parking at that spot will cause any obstruction for traffic movement and three, if KMC has access to that land.The operational push also follows another high-level traffic review meetings at Lalbazar, where senior officers evaluated guard-wise listings to distinguish legally leased parking slots from non-metered free zones. Beyond expanding revenue-generating spots, authorities are cracking down on illegal “ghost operators”—unauthorised touts who exploit free zones by unlawfully collecting money without valid KMC contracts, public tender, or official signage.Police officers have also requested the KMC to revive and re-commission the multi-storey Parkomat automated parking facility in New Market to alleviate severe congestion and curb illegal parking in the commercial hub.Lalbazar has also proposed establishing a new multi-storey parking complex on Kolkata Improvement Trust (KIT) land along Strand Road to ease heavy vehicular pressure surrounding Burrabazar and the Howrah Bridge approach.To streamline collections and prevent extortion, KMC and Lalbazar are enforcing mandatory operational rules for all parking attendants. Under the strict protocols, contractors and ground staff must utilize POS handheld machines to issue printed receipts that log the vehicle number, entry timestamp, and exact fees. Attendants are required to wear official KMC identity cards, and designated stretches must display prominent boards outlining geographical boundaries, operating hours, and standard rates.The state government and Lalbazar are also developing a unified digital parking platform to enable UPI/card payments, provide real-time slot availability through GIS-mapped sensors, and link POS terminals directly to police databases for automated fraud tracking.
