Ahmedabad: Amdavad Municipal Corporation’s (AMC) new policy aimed at easing traffic congestion and reducing roadside parking by opening private parking spaces to the public free of charge has received a positive response, the civic body said today. According to AMC, Caspia Hotel in the Sola area has applied under the Comprehensive Policy 2026 to Transform Traffic, Parking Encroachment, Road Safety and Cattle Management Across the City to avail property tax relief by sharing its parking facility.

The hotel has offered around 8,300 square metres of parking space across two basement levels for free public use. The facility can accommodate about 150 cars and 50 two-wheelers. In return, the hotel is expected to receive property tax relief of nearly ₹26 lakh annually, as per AMC’s policy.

The civic body’s initiative is designed to encourage commercial establishments to make their unused parking spaces available to the public, thereby reducing illegal roadside parking and improving traffic flow across the city.

The scheme is open to shopping malls, hotels, theatres, multiplexes, mini-plexes, hospitals, party plots, community halls, gymnasiums, educational and social institutions, as well as other non-residential commercial properties located on National Highways, Ring Roads and State Highways.

To qualify for the tax benefit, commercial units must provide parking completely free of charge. Any establishment collecting parking fees will not be eligible for the concession. Interested property owners can register online through the Parking Availability and Sharing Consent Form available on AMC’s website.

Participating establishments must also appoint parking attendants, update vehicle entries through the AMDAPARK application, install directional signage indicating parking availability, and properly mark parking bays.

AMC said Caspia Hotel’s participation is expected to encourage more commercial establishments to join the initiative, helping create additional parking spaces, reduce congestion on city roads, and improve overall traffic management while allowing participating units to benefit from property tax relief.

DeshGujarat