A Policy for Smarter, Fairer, and More Efficient Urban Parking in Colombo
Poorly managed parking clogs streets, wastes time, and fuels frustration. Park Right, Move Free is a smart mobility initiative to streamline city parking using digital payments, dynamic pricing, and better enforcement. It’s designed to reduce congestion, reclaim public space, and make city movement smoother for everyone.
Main Stakeholders
- Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) – Manages most on-street parking and some public lots.
- Private parking operators – Control several high-demand lots, especially near commercial areas.
- Sri Lanka Police & Traffic Division – Enforce parking regulations and handle illegal parking.
- Urban Development Authority (UDA) – Oversees structured parking developments.
- Public transport users and small business owners – Most affected by poor parking design.
Current Parking Infrastructure
- Limited on-street parking with inconsistent enforcement.
- Private lots not always accessible or affordable.
- No city-wide digital system to show available parking in real time.
- Frequent double parking, blocking lanes and causing bottlenecks.
- Lack of designated loading/unloading areas for businesses.
What We Have Now
- Disconnected and outdated parking systems.
- Many spaces go unused due to lack of awareness or poor design.
- No central app or platform to help drivers find parking.
- Informal parking attendants collect money without receipts or accountability.
- No special zones for loading, ride-sharing, or short stops.
- Traffic police overwhelmed with double parking cases.
What We Will Improve
- Create uniform parking rules across the city with better signage and markings.
- Designate loading zones and short-stay bays in commercial areas.
- Regulate and train parking attendants; issue ID badges and make fees cashless.
- Introduce dynamic pricing – cheaper rates in low-demand areas to reduce congestion in hotspots.
- Improve coordination between CMC, UDA, and Police for daily enforcement and planning.
What New Things We Will Introduce
- Launch a Park Smart Colombo App showing real-time availability of parking spots.
- Install smart sensors in major parking zones to detect space usage.
- Build multi-level car parks near transport hubs.
- Set up park-and-ride facilities to reduce city-centre traffic.
- Reintroduce and upgrade automated parking meters in busy zones — enabling card and digital payments, with real-time ticketing and receipt issuance.
- Introduce resident parking permits in crowded residential streets to ensure fair access.
- Promote e-bike and short-distance electric mobility zones, encouraging quick, sustainable movement between neighbourhoods and key destinations.
Tackling Corruption and Mismanagement
- End informal cash collections: Replace paper slips and hand-collected cash with digital payments and receipts.
- License and monitor attendants: Only trained and approved personnel with ID badges will be allowed to manage parking. (Giving preference to existing attendants)
- Public tender process: All outsourced parking zones will be allocated transparently with published terms.
- Central revenue tracking: All parking income will be monitored and publicly reported.
- Citizen reporting: Public can report fake tickets or corrupt practices directly through the app.
- Audit and oversight: Independent audits of parking operations every 6 months.
Making the System Transparent & Accountable
- Share monthly reports on parking usage, revenue, and enforcement.
- Use digital maps to show all legal parking and no-parking zones.
- Publish parking fee structures and fine revenues openly.
- Include citizen feedback features on the app for complaints or suggestions.