Higher-priced parking to help tempt use of public transport
A new vehicle parking system with high fees in the city of Colombo is being seen as a way to deter drivers and encourage the use of public transport.
The ‘Smart Parking System’ has been devised by the Traffic, Design and Road Safety Department of the Colombo Municipal Council.
The proposal includes integrating parking locations and vehicle tracking. Parking fees could be paid online.
“With an eye towards incentivising the use of public transport and lowering the rush hour, one sharp option to address this is to introduce high parking charges to reduce the demand for automobile use and encourage the travel mode switch to
public transport,” said P. A. Chandrapala, the director engineering of TDRS in CMC.
“The excessive number of vehicles coming into the city does have harmful effects on nature and human health. Greater usage of public transport services over personal vehicle use is one of the best ways to lessen emissions and save the environment,” said Deputy Director TDRS U.K.M.K. Kularathne. Due to vehicle congestion, many cities have dedicated bus lanes. Using public transport within the city is not only cheaper but also faster, they point out.
“It is always challenging to induce change within cities. By offering high-quality public transport service and making these benefits available to everyone, people would consider choosing a bus or a train over their car. Making car travel less desirable, more expensive, slower and inconvenient could also work,” Mr. Kularathne said.
Higher parking fees could help reduce personal vehicle use and encourage public transport.
The principles of urban planning must also be changed. When planning for suburban streets and city spaces, driving comfort should no longer be a priority.
Traditionally, cost and travel time are two main variables which affect the choice of travel modes. The parking fees, as part of the cost of travel, play a vital role in the decision-making of car travellers as there are about 7,000 parking spaces in the city of Colombo.
Thus, parking fees are an influential factor affecting travel mode behaviour and urban traffic policy.
Another important issue is the choice of travel mode.
Existing studies have shown that a large number of respondents would shift their travel modes if parking fees increase. The level of traffic congestion in a specific area can be directly influenced by individual traveller’s responses to parking policies.
But, people’s choices cannot and must not be unduly interfered with.
Nevertheless, people can be directed. The objective must be to prioritise the needs and comfort of people who use or rely on public transport and those that commute on foot because if more people choose public transport, the better chance we have at saving the environment and the lives of future generations, say the experts.