Parking Updates | To Alleviate the “Parking Shortage,” Zhengzhou Plans to Enact Legislation to Regulate the Issue

On the 22nd, the “Regulations of Zhengzhou Municipality on the Construction and Management of Parking Facilities” (hereinafter referred to as the “Regulations”) were submitted to the Eleventh Meeting of the Standing Committee of the Thirteenth Henan Provincial People’s Congress for review and approval. According to reports, the Regulations comprise eight chapters and 51 articles, covering general provisions, parking facility planning and construction, parking facility operation and management, management of on‑street parking spaces on urban roads, and management of non‑motorized vehicle parking, thereby providing comprehensive regulation of parking issues.

Zhengzhou’s motor vehicle count exceeds In the main urban area, there are only 1.357 million parking spaces for a population of 4 million.

In recent years, the number of motorized and non-motorized vehicles in Zhengzhou has increased significantly, with the total number of registered motor vehicles now exceeding There are 4 million motorized vehicles, and over 2.2 million non-motorized vehicles registered with the public security authorities; meanwhile, the main urban area of the city has only 1.357 million parking spaces for motorized vehicles, and even non-motorized vehicle parking facilities are in short supply.

The regulations stipulate that the municipal and district people’s governments shall include in their respective fiscal budgets the funds required for government‑invested and socially‑capital‑supported public parking facilities; they shall also broaden investment channels for parking‑lot development, encouraging diversified investment in eco‑friendly parking facilities as well as in high‑density parking structures such as parking garages, underground parking lots, and mechanical multi‑storey parking systems. Furthermore, they shall support and promote intelligent parking services.

Leverage a unified parking information management and service system to enable information sharing.

If it can be utilized “Internet Plus” enables the sharing of parking information, which will significantly alleviate the problem of difficulty in finding parking. Accordingly, the regulations stipulate that the municipal administrative authority responsible for big data shall establish a citywide unified parking information management and service system and formulate technical standards. Meanwhile, the municipal urban management administrative authority shall leverage this citywide unified system to achieve seamless sharing of parking information.

The district-level administrative authority responsible for urban management shall ensure the interconnection and interoperability of parking‑lot data within its jurisdiction with the city‑wide unified parking information management and service system. Parking‑lot operators and relevant entities shall provide the pertinent data and information in good faith.

Parking fees are subject to government-set pricing, government-guided pricing, and market-determined pricing.

The regulations stipulate that parking service charges shall be subject to government pricing, government-guided pricing, and market‑determined pricing. For those subject to government pricing or government‑guided pricing, differentiated, tiered fee schedules shall be formulated in accordance with the law by the municipal administrative department responsible for development and reform, in coordination with the departments of natural resources and planning, urban management, and others, following principles such as higher rates in central urban areas than in peripheral areas, higher rates in key areas than in non‑key areas, and higher rates during peak congestion periods than during off‑peak periods. Such schedules shall be submitted to the municipal people’s government for approval before being promulgated and implemented.

For services subject to market-determined pricing, parking facility operators shall independently set their fee schedules and publicly display them in a conspicuous location. The Regulations encourage hospitals, shopping malls, public cultural service venues, and other such facilities to open their dedicated parking lots to the public. Where staggered‑hour parking is implemented, paid parking services may be offered. When dedicated parking lots provide paid parking services to the public, they shall comply with the provisions of these Regulations governing the operation of parking facilities.

Areas near residential neighborhoods that offer parking shall publicly display the hours during which parking is free.

In addition to public and dedicated parking facilities, there is another common category of parking spaces: those designated within the urban road network. The regulations stipulate that the municipal people’s government shall coordinate with the traffic management and urban management departments of the public security organs to formulate rules governing the allocation of on‑street parking spaces, conduct regular assessments and adjustments, and publicly announce and implement these measures.

On roads surrounding residential areas where parking supply and demand are particularly acute, and which offer time‑limited parking during nighttime hours or statutory holidays, the traffic management department of the public security organ, in coordination with the urban management department, shall designate on‑street parking spaces for specific time periods. The authorities shall publicly announce the free‑parking time windows, designated parking zones, and procedures for addressing illegal parking.

Where on‑street parking spaces on urban roads are abolished, the district administrative department responsible for urban management shall promptly remove all associated signs, markings, and signage, and repair the road surface.

Shijia District has designated parking spaces to address residents’ needs. “Difficulty in finding parking”

The convenience measures stipulated in the regulations are also a matter of public concern. Addressing “difficult” issues by starting with the “details” is also a key focus and guiding principle of government administration.

According to the head of a division at the Huiji District Urban Management Bureau, Huiji District currently has standardized parking spaces with assigned numbers that have been approved by both the Zhengzhou Municipal Traffic Police Detachment and the Municipal Urban Management Bureau. With 2,365 parking spaces already in place, the Huiji District plans to add more than 5,000 additional spaces across 55 road segments within its jurisdiction. In addition, the district has launched several parking‑lot projects, including the Huiji District Civic Service Center project, the Qinxing Road multi‑level parking facility, and the Xinglongpu Road Huitong Parking Lot, all of which are progressing rapidly. At the same time, the district is developing high‑standard, commercially operated demonstration parking facilities—such as the “Dahe Longcheng Parking Lot” on Yingbin Road and the “Jinglei Parking Lot” on Changhong Road—as model projects, aiming to elevate the overall quality of commercial parking and align it with the city’s development.