Published: 11:33 PM, 23 September 2026
Move People, Not Park Cars: Time for Dhaka's Parking Reform
Farhad Ahmed
Dhaka residents are familiar with the following sight: cars occupying roads, footpaths and other spaces meant for people and movement. This affects everyone, including those who do not own a car. A vehicle parked on a busy road reduces the space available for moving traffic and can worsen congestion. A vehicle parked on a footpath forces pedestrians onto the road, making walking more difficult and unsafe. Bus passengers also suffer when buses cannot move or stop smoothly. Emergency vehicles may face further delays.
Dhaka's parking problem is not simply about parking space shortages. It is about how scarce public space is used and managed. Parking policy influences transport and urban development and a city needs efficient management of both on-street and off-street parking. It is particularly important for Dhaka: roads cover only 7 percent of Dhaka’s land, compared with over 20 precent for many developed capital cities.
Dhaka Metro has approximately 2.4 million registered motor vehicles (May 2026). Among them over a half (55 percent) are motorcycles and 15 percent are private cars. The overall annual vehicles increase rate is approximately 10 percent (comparing 2010 and 2025 figures). This level of vehicle increase rate is expected to further worsen future parking problems.
Dhaka lacks reliable citywide parking information. Key data are needed on available on-street and off-street parking spaces, illegal parking, and the impact of parking on congestion and footpaths. Authorities also need to examine whether new buildings follow parking requirements and whether approved parking spaces are later used for other purposes. Both legal and illegal parking create major challenges. Therefore, a citywide parking inventory should be an early priority of any parking reform program. The study should also identify areas most affected by haphazard and illegal roadside parking.
Building more parking everywhere will not automatically reduce congestion. Dhaka needs adequate parking according to location and demand with sensible pricing, time limits and enforcement. Evidence suggests that cheap and easily available parking can encourage car use. Dhaka’s land is limited. Parking competes with other important uses, such as footpaths, public transport, housing and public spaces. Parking is also not truly free. If users do not pay the full cost of parking, others will have to pay for it through higher property prices, rents or public money.
Parking policy should follow one simple principle: busy roads should move people, not store vehicles. Parking should be restricted on major roads, especially during peak hours. Not every street should allow parking. Suitable short-term parking can be provided near shops, hospitals and activity centres. Time limits can improve parking turnover in commercial areas. Emergency routes must always remain free. Clear signs, designated parking areas and strong enforcement are essential.
International experience offers useful lessons for Dhaka. Parking charges should reflect location, time and demand. San Francisco’s SFpark uses different prices to manage demand and improve parking availability. Busy commercial areas may need higher charges, shorter stays and stronger enforcement. Parking should also encourage turnover. High-demand spaces should not be occupied all day. Short-term parking can support shops, hospitals and offices. Finally, parking policy should support public transport. Cheap and unlimited parking encourages private car use. Dhaka should link parking reform with Metro Rail, buses, walking, cycling and better last-mile connections.
Dhaka needs a parking maximum policy because land is scarce and valuable. Excess parking raises construction costs, takes space from housing and commerce, and encourages car use. International reforms offer useful lessons. New Zealand removed parking minimums nationally. Mexico City introduced parking maximums. São Paulo, Minneapolis and Atlanta reduced or removed parking requirements in critical areas.
Dhaka’s policy direction should be to gradually replace fixed parking minimums with maximum limits, especially in high-value and transit-served areas. The reform should support public transport, walking, cycling and transit-oriented development.
Implementation should start with parking occupancy and cost surveys. RAJUK and relevant city authorities should then revise building and land-use rules. Pilot maximums can begin in selected commercial areas and around mass transit (e.g., metro) stations. On-street parking should also be properly priced and enforced. Public communication and coordination among government agencies will be essential.
Three stages are proposed for Dhaka’s parking reform. The priority, over the next two years, should be to manage the parking space already available. The city should conduct a parking inventory and identify legal and illegal parking locations. Critical roads and footpaths should have clear no-parking zones. Legal parking areas should be properly marked. Rules and charges should be publicly displayed. Digital payment and stronger enforcement should also be introduced where practical. Pilot projects can begin in selected commercial areas.
Over the next two to five years, Dhaka should build a complete parking management system. A unified policy for Greater Dhaka is needed. Parking should be linked with public transport planning. Charges can vary according to location and demand. Common standards should cover both roadside and off-street parking. Permits, payments and enforcement should gradually become digital. Building approvals should also be monitored to ensure that required parking spaces are not converted to other uses.
In the longer term, parking policy should be linked with land use and zoning. This will include the introduction of a parking maximum policy. Streets and footpaths should primarily serve people and movement. Parking facilities should support mass transit.
A properly managed paid-parking system can help generate significant revenue for city authorities. An analysis suggests that the combined annual revenue of Dhaka could be roughly Tk310 crore (Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) - Tk140 crore and Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) - Tk170 crore). After allowing for leakages, collection and management costs, the estimated net revenue is estimated at Tk260 crore per year. (DNCC-120 crore and DSCC-140 crore). These figures demonstrate that parking can become an important source of municipal revenue (13 percent and 11 percent respectively of DSCC and DNCC’s annual 2023-24 revenue). The extra income can support better city services and parking management.
Parking management in Dhaka involves several agencies. RAJUK regulates development and building requirements. DNCC and DSCC manage many municipal roads and public spaces. DTCA coordinates transport, while police enforce traffic laws. Responsibilities are fragmented and not clearly presented in one framework. The World Bank has highlighted such coordination problems. Dhaka needs a unified parking-management framework with clear responsibilities, coordination and accountability.
Parking reform faces several risks. These include public resistance, weak enforcement, poor coordination between agencies, and inadequate legal rules. Businesses may also fear losing customers. These risks can be reduced through public communication, clear rules and gradual implementation. Pilot projects can test reforms before wider expansion. Agencies need clearly defined responsibilities and strong coordination. Consistent enforcement is also essential. Dhaka’s roads and footpaths are limited. Every square metre used to store a vehicle is a square metre unavailable for moving people, walking, cycling or other public purposes. The answer is not simply to build parking everywhere: rather to manage parking intelligently, fairly and consistently.
Dhaka must decide how to use its scarce public space: for moving people or storing cars. If people come first, now is the time to begin meaningful parking reform.
Farhad Ahmed is a Senior Transport
Specialist (Retd.) at the World Bank,
Washington, D.C. He can be reached at [email protected]
