Parking woes at tourist spots to end; Transport Department to launch parking app..

Tourists and locals in Uttarakhand will no longer have to wander around looking for parking. A new parking app is being developed for the state, eliminating the need for people to park their vehicles haphazardly on the streets; instead, the app will provide comprehensive parking information, allowing users to book parking spaces in advance—much like booking a hotel room. This facility will be available to visiting tourists and pilgrims alike. The Uttarakhand Transport Department’s new parking application will initially be launched in Dehradun as a pilot project.

**Over 5 Million Tourists and Pilgrims Visit**
Every year, more than 5 million pilgrims visit Uttarakhand for the Char Dham Yatra (Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri) and the pilgrimage to Hemkund Sahib. Additionally, tourists flock to popular destinations such as Rishikesh, Haridwar, Mussoorie, Nainital, Kainchi Dham, Dharchula, Kausani, Chakrata, Auli, Joshimath, Khirsu, Tehri, Almora, Jageshwar, and Kailash Om Parvat. Weekend visitors also arrive in large numbers from Delhi-Gurgaon, Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh. Consequently, there is constant vehicular movement throughout the year, frequently leading to traffic jams—a problem largely caused by the lack of adequate parking facilities.

Long queues of tourist vehicles were observed here over the recent Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. A large number of tourists arrived during this three-day holiday period but struggled to find parking arrangements.

**Parking App to the Rescue**
In light of the heavy vehicular traffic, the Uttarakhand Transport Department is developing a parking app to enhance convenience for tourists. This app will be rolled out in Dehradun as a pilot project, enabling tourists to book parking spaces just as they would book a hotel. This app will feature information on government parking facilities, allowing tourists to search for them. Users will be able to locate nearby parking spots, book a space, and park their vehicles. In other words, tourists will no longer have to wait on the streets for parking.

Sanat Kumar, Additional Transport Commissioner of Uttarakhand, stated that the parking app would be launched as a pilot project in the Dehradun district. A tender process to develop the app will be initiated soon. If the system proves successful in Dehradun, it will be implemented across the entire state. He added that the aim is to integrate all government and private parking facilities into the app. Additionally, the Transport Department is formulating a parking policy that will include provisions for those wishing to develop private parking facilities. The policy will also regulate parking charges.

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