The Municipal Corporation of Shimla is set to launch a smart parking facility for both residents and tourists visiting the city, providing a seamless way to locate and book parking spots online. With this new system, people will be able to search for available spaces in 11 major parking lots across the city and reserve their slots from the comfort of their homes.
The corporation has developed a dedicated mobile app to facilitate this service, integrating the city’s parking lots with smart CCTV cameras. These cameras will be connected to the Municipal Corporation’s app, allowing users to get real-time updates on parking space availability. Whether residents or tourists are entering Shimla from Kalka or other locations, the app will instantly notify them if parking spaces are available or full, helping them plan ahead.
In addition to real-time parking information, local residents will be able to make online payments for parking through the app, making the entire process more convenient. The Municipal Corporation is working with a foreign company to implement this smart parking system, and a final meeting with the firm is scheduled soon to finalize the details.
Initially, the system will cover 11 major parking lots across Shimla, with plans to expand the service to other parking areas in the future. The project is being supported by the European Union, with funding of approximately ₹3 crore allocated for the initiative. In the next phase, the city’s yellow line parking will also be integrated into the system.
This new smart parking initiative aims to ease the parking challenges in Shimla, especially during peak tourist seasons, while improving overall traffic management in the city. The integration of technology into daily services is expected to enhance the convenience for locals and visitors alike, making Shimla a more accessible destination.
