Ahmedabad: As the number of cars grows, limited space and unauthorised parking along roads have pushed GIFT City to draft a paid parking policy for the special economic zone ( SEZ ), domestic tariff area (DTA), and residential areas. It aims to regulate parking while shifting much of the allocation responsibility to employers.




The policy, currently under discussion, proposes reserved parking for a fixed monthly fee, pay-per-use parking and lower-priced temporary parking. Sources said it may be implemented soon after Diwali .




The move is expected to affect employees who drive to GIFT City and companies that provide parking to their staff. Depending on the arrangement, employees or employers could pay the charges.




Under the proposed system, companies operating in GIFT City would receive parking quotas based on factors such as employee strength and unit area. Employers would then decide how to distribute the allotted spaces among staff, based on criteria such as seniority, employee needs, carpooling or other internal policies.




“The objective of the policy is to manage demand within the existing supply rather than construct additional parking facilities time and again. The proposed system will also bring parking access and billing under a centralised system,” said Sanjay Kaul , MD and group CEO, GIFT City.








He said the revenue would fund internal shuttle services, last-mile connectivity, e-rickshaws, shared mobility, pedestrian and cycling infrastructure, and parking technology.




“The idea is to adopt a multi-modal transport approach, wherein creating parking facilities, strengthening public transport, deploying dedicated buses as needed and increasing Metro frequency will go hand in hand,” Kaul said.




The proposal comes as commercial activity and daily commuters continue to rise. Despite dedicated parking facilities, cars and two-wheelers are often parked along roads and in open spaces, particularly in the SEZ area.




GIFT City currently has around 7,967 parking spaces, including 1,720 temporary spaces across the SEZ and DTA. Excluding temporary parking, the DTA faces a shortfall of around 1,264 spaces. The policy also proposes preferential rates for electric vehicles and registered carpool vehicles carrying at least two occupants in the temporary parking category.



Bus connectivity to improve




GIFT City has Metro connectivity , but commuters have cited limited operating hours and frequency as hurdles. “The last Metro is around 7pm to 7.30pm every day, and it is available at hourly intervals, which discourages people from using the service,” said an employee.




GIFT City is planning around 25 electric buses connecting the business district with key locations in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar . Two buses may operate within GIFT City, linking the Metro station with different locations. Sources said services could run late into the night to support employees working across global time zones.