The Odisha government is drawing up a draft policy to regulate parking in urban areas, aiming to curb congestion and improve traffic flow in cities such as Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Berhampur and Rourkela.

The Odisha Urban Academy, under the housing & urban development (H&UD) department, recently held a consultative workshop on the draft parking policy for urban Odisha. Municipal commissioners, traffic and transport experts, town planners, architects, civil society representatives and academicians participated in the deliberations.

The discussions focused on creating a framework for structured on-street and off-street parking, introducing demand-based parking charges to deter indiscriminate parking, promoting sustainable mobility such as walking, cycling and public transport, ensuring optimal use of urban infrastructure and leveraging smart technologies.

“Discussion was on integrating modern mobility trends, fostering private sector participation, and aligning the framework with sustainability goals,” officials said.

Special secretary, H&UD department, Rajesh Pravaakar Patil, said the policy should look at ways to improve traffic flow, enhance safety and create citizen-friendly spaces. Once finalised, it will serve as a guiding document for all Urban Local Bodies in Odisha to implement efficient and sustainable parking systems.

In a related move, Bhubaneswar Smart City Limited plans to install about 1,500 AI-based CCTV cameras across the city to check illegal parking. “It will also play a major role in the safety of women. The cameras will be integrated with an intelligent command and control centre,” officials said.