Islamabad is set to get an electronic parking system at seven locations, with the CDA planning to digitally track how long vehicles stay and monitor parking fees through an electronic dashboard.

CDA officials told the Senate Standing Committee on Interior that work on the system is already underway. The proposed setup will record vehicle parking times and allow officials to monitor parking duration and charges digitally.

The development comes as Islamabad continues to face parking shortages, particularly in busy commercial areas. Senator Naseema Ehsan said the capital had also started implementing a traffic management system similar to one introduced in Karachi.

CDA Director General Enforcement Anum Fatima told the committee that the Blue Area parking plaza had been completed and would help ease parking pressure in the area. She said parking charges were being collected under the CDA-approved layout plan, while cashless payments and QR codes were available at all parking facilities.

However, Senator Abid Sher Ali questioned why parking fees were still being collected on roads despite the completion of the Blue Area parking plaza. He called the CDA’s position contradictory and asked about parking arrangements in newly built plazas.

Sher Ali also suggested that the CDA should not issue No Objection Certificates (NOCs) to new plazas unless they include sufficient underground parking.