PMRDA seeks eight parking sites near Pune Metro stations

According to The Times of India, the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) has asked for eight parking sites along Metro corridors, including the newly launched Maan-Civil Court stretch via the Hinjewadi IT hub. The aim is to give public transport users places to leave their vehicles.

Why parking is in demand

PMRDA officials said demand for vehicle parking has risen since new Metro stretches opened and is expected to grow further. According to PMRDA officials, commuters have been parking on roadsides or under elevated Metro corridors because dedicated lots are missing, which leads to traffic jams.

Status of public parking sites

According to The Times of India, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has designated 20 locations near Metro stations for parking development. Parking at five of these locations has been constructed, and the rest are still being processed, according to a PMC building permissions official. PMC data also shows that only 31 of its 137 designated public parking reservations have been developed, leaving 106 on paper.

Negotiations with private landowners are under way, and land held by PMC and other public bodies will be prioritised, a civic official said. Public awareness campaigns are planned once the hubs become operational.

The network

The Metro network spans 33.2 km on two routes: the north-south Purple Line and the east-west Aqua Line, with 30 stations. According to the report, most of these stations currently lack parking. A new 23 km elevated corridor from Civil Court in Shivajinagar to Maan via Hinjewadi, with 23 stations, was launched on Wednesday.

Passenger views

Metro passengers have urged authorities to speed up these projects. Regular commuter Gauri Kulkarni said that reaching the final destination from the station remains a major challenge, and that the lack of nearby parking discourages people from choosing Metro over personal vehicles. Jugal Rathi of PMP Pravasi Manch said parking near stations would improve access to the Metro.

Traffic experts, according to the report, have stressed that parking near public transport discourages private vehicle use, but authorities have so far not provided it adequately.