Patna: Indiscriminate roadside parking in Patna is becoming a costly habit, as the city deploys technology-driven enforcement that leaves little room for escape. Vehicles left in no-parking zones are now being detected by surveillance cameras, which automatically read number plates and trigger e-challans sent straight to motorists’ mobile phones.
The move is part of a wider push by Patna Smart City Limited to streamline traffic management through automation rather than manual policing. Officials say the focus is not merely on penalising offenders, but on easing congestion and restoring order to some of the city’s most crowded stretches.
Data released by the Smart City authority shows a sharp rise in enforcement since the system was rolled out. Between December 1 and January 22, cameras recorded 4,806 instances of illegal parking. In 2,371 of these cases, vehicle numbers were successfully identified and e-challans issued.
The figures point to an intensifying crackdown. In December alone, 2,669 vehicles were found parked in prohibited zones, with fines issued to 793 owners. January saw 2,137 such cases, but enforcement rose sharply, with action taken against 1,578 vehicles — a jump officials attribute to improved surveillance coverage and real-time monitoring.
High-traffic corridors including Nehru Path, Boring Road, Kankarbagh, Rajabazar, Fraser Road, Exhibition Road, the Patna Junction area and Gandhi Maidan are now under round-the-clock camera watch. These locations have long been notorious for roadside parking that chokes traffic and slows emergency movement.
City officials say the technology-led approach is designed to change behaviour rather than simply collect fines. By making enforcement swift, automated and unavoidable, the administration hopes motorists will think twice before stopping in restricted zones — and that smoother traffic flow will follow.
