EVALUATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SURAT PARKING POLICY IN PROMOTING SUSTAINABLE URBAN MOBILITY: A FRAMEWORK FOR INTEGRATED MOBILITY, ACCESSIBILITY AND GREATER BENGALURU

Abstract

Parking is closely connected with travel behaviour, land use, public transport and urban accessibility. This paper critically evaluates the Parking Policy for Surat City from a sustainable urban mobility perspective and examines how selected principles could be adapted to the Greater Bengaluru Area (GBA). The study uses secondary-data policy analysis and comparative policy transfer. It analyses the Surat Parking Policy, empirical research on parking behaviour in Surat, literature on parking pricing and demand management, bicycle–transit integration, Mobility as a Service (MaaS), accessibility planning, and current official information on Bengaluru and GBA. The analysis finds that Surat's policy is conceptually stronger than a conventional parking-supply approach because it emphasises demand management, differentiated pricing, time restrictions, public transport, non-motorised transport, bicycle sharing and smart parking. However, the available evidence does not establish that the policy has causally reduced private-vehicle dependence or produced measurable environmental benefits. Surat evidence instead shows persistent illegal parking, poor turnover and spillover, with parking duration and travel conditions influencing behaviour. The paper therefore proposes a conceptual framework linking parking management with MaaS, accessibility planning, and Environmental, Social, Governance and economic indicators. These are proposed policy extensions, not empirically tested interventions. For GBA, the study recommends adaptation rather than replication, building on existing Parking Policy 2.0, metropolitan planning and mass-transit infrastructure. The central policy implication is a shift from managing vehicle storage towards managing accessibility. Keywords: Surat parking policy; sustainable urban mobility; Mobility as a Service; accessibility; land-use transport integration; parking demand; Greater Bengaluru; ESG.