Parking Demand and Supply Management as Strategy to Reduce Congestion and Improving Mobility: A Case Study on Chawk Bazar Area at Chattogram City

Abstract

Parking management plays a vital role in urban transportation systems and significantly influences mobility, accessibility, and economic activities. Chattogram, one of the largest and fastest-growing cities in Bangladesh, faces increasing parking demand and inadequate parking supply, particularly in its central business districts. This study examines parking demand and supply conditions in the Chawk Bazar area of Chattogram and proposes parking management strategies to reduce congestion and improve mobility. Primary data were collected through field surveys, including parking inventory surveys, parking usage surveys, and questionnaire surveys. Key parking characteristics such as parking accumulation, parking duration, parking turnover, occupancy, and user preferences regarding parking location and pricing were analysed for both two-wheel and four-wheel vehicles. The findings reveal a significant mismatch between parking demand and available supply, contributing to roadside parking and traffic congestion in the study area. Based on the analysis, a parking pricing strategy is proposed, including pre-implementation activities such as stakeholder awareness, institutional preparation, and pricing system development, followed by implementation, monitoring, and evaluation phases. The study highlights the importance of effective parking management policies in optimizing parking utilization, reducing congestion, and improving overall urban mobility in Chattogram City.

IUBAT Review—A Multidisciplinary Academic Journal, 9(1): 134-157