The Hyderabad Metro Rail’s (HMR) fully automated and computerized 15-floor multi-level car parking works, showcasing the German Palis parking system which is the first of its kind in India, is nearing completion.
Built on half-an-acre land of HMR near Nampally metro station, this complex comprises 10 parking floors and five commercial floors. Out of the total built up area of about 1,44,400 sq.ft, 68% is allocated for parking of about 250 four wheelers and 200 two wheelers, said an official release on Sunday.
The remaining 32% is used as commercial space for shops and a film theatre with two screens. Bhari Infra Pvt Ltd has developed the ultra modern MLP complex at a cost of about ₹80 crore with a concession period of 50 years.
HMR Managing Director N. V. S. Reddy on Sunday said, “The project had suffered delays due to various factors like Covid, debt financing problems and global supply chain disruptions. All the imported materials have now arrived and are being fixed as a jigsaw puzzle by experts.”
The MLP complex being developed under the public, private partnership (PPP) uses state-of-the-art automated parking technology. On the ground floor of the complex there are four ‘In or Out’ (I/O) terminals fitted with turn tables. The driver of a vehicle can simply leave the car on the turn table of the designated I/O terminal. As a vehicle is entering the MLP, the user/driver will be given a smart card, while regular users will be issued permanent RFID cards.
The user/driver will be guided to the assigned I/O terminal and by swiping the smart card in the card reader, the gate of the I/O terminal opens and the user can conveniently leave the car on the turn table. Mr. Reddy indicated that the turn table is big enough for any vehicle to be conveniently left on it, unlike the existing few other automated parking complexes in Delhi and Mumbai, where the driver has to struggle to keep the vehicle on the limited designated space of the turn tables.
Based on the dimensions of the vehicle, the computerized parking system will automatically classify the vehicle either as an SUV or a Sedan and a transporter-shuttle will take the vehicle through a lift to the allocated spot on the designated floor and park it there.
For retrieving the parked vehicle, the driver pays the parking fee and shows the parking ticket to the card reader, after which a transporter-shuttle brings the car back automatically. The vehicle is always delivered in such a way that no reversal is required for driving out. The time taken for parking is less than a minute and retrieval will take just two minutes, explained the MD.
The MD further advised the developers of MLP Hari Kishen Reddy, a technocrat entrepreneur and Bhavana Reddy to complete the finishing works early and start trial runs by next month, according to a press release.
