Municipal bodies to prepare parking plans within 6 months; cashless digital transactions made mandatory for fees and penalties
Srinagar: In a significant move, the Jammu & Kashmir Government has unveiled parking rules, which will be applicable to all municipal bodies in the Union Territory.
The Housing & Urban Development Department has introduced the Jammu & Kashmir Parking Rules, 2026, which mandate that Municipal Corporations, Councils, and Committees shall be responsible for managing parking within their respective jurisdictions.
As per the Rules, a copy of which is in possession of news agency—Kashmir News Observer(KNO), municipal bodies must prepare and implement local, area-specific, integrated Parking Management Plans (PMAPs) in line with the Master Plan and the overall parking policy. These plans must be prepared within six months, in coordination with agencies that own land parcels where public parking takes place, such as universities, hospitals, malls, cinema halls, and airports.
The Rules further provide that Municipal Corporations may, in the public interest, allow private companies to manage parking areas under the PMAP. Authorities may also construct parking lots (surface or multi-level) through Public-Private Partnership (PPP) models by inviting open bids.
As per Rules, parking contractors are empowered to penalize violators by immobilizing, towing, or imposing fines under the Municipal Acts.
The Rules state that penalties for not parking in designated spaces shall be determined by the Parking Committee constituted under the Municipal Corporation and Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) from time to time.
As per the notification, violations such as parking on footpaths or cycle tracks, occupying more than one slot, or parking against the lane direction will attract penalties.
The Rules mandate digital payment of parking fees via apps or websites, with payments linked directly to vehicle registration numbers, enabling authorities to verify compliance. All collections of fees or violation charges must be through cashless transactions.
The Rules also require the development of a website and smartphone application to provide real-time information on occupancy at all on-street and off-street paid locations, as well as fee levels.
The enforcement of these Rules shall be carried out by the concerned Municipal Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner in their respective jurisdictions—(KNO)
