Panjab University (PU) is set to introduce paid parking facilities for students and outsiders in the coming weeks, once the recently rolled-out smart cards are fully distributed among faculty members. RFID (radio frequency identification) smart identity cards were introduced for employees in the first week of January to authenticate bona fide employees and curb unauthorised access to the campus.
The cards contain encrypted personal data and photographs embedded in both a QR code and RFID tag, linked to the university’s central employee database. Any attempt to duplicate or tamper with the card renders the code unreadable. As of now, the cards have been officially issued to the senior authorities of the university, while the remaining faculty members are still in the process of being included.
The smart cards had followed PU’s attempt in August to regulate entry through QR-coded vehicle parking stickers for four-wheelers. At that launch, despite nearly 4,000 students being identified as eligible, only 150 stickers were initially issued. Following multiple registration drives and deadline extensions over five months, the number rose to 1,800.
According to PU authorities, the paid parking facilities aim to ease congestion and regulate vehicle movement on campus, marking a significant shift in the university’s traffic management strategy. PU registrar YP Verma said the first paid parking zone will come up near gate number 1, opposite the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), with capacity for around 200 cars. Entry for outsiders will be regulated from this gate, while designated paid parking spaces will be earmarked for students as well.
“There is a lot of disorder because of the ‘geddi’ culture around the university. Vehicles keep moving aimlessly, causing traffic jams and safety concerns. With paid parking, we hope to control traffic and ensure better discipline on campus roads,” he said.
The proposal for paid parking was initially suggested last year by Dinesh Kumar, a faculty member from the department of laws and faculty in-charge of campus security. Kumar prepared a detailed plan for regulated parking for outsiders and students, with charges aligned to those levied by the Chandigarh municipal corporation. As per the plan, parking on the left side of gate number 1 will be designated for cars, while the right side will be used for two-wheelers, both on a paid basis. Another paid parking area is proposed in front of the Indian Theatre department, where students will also be allowed to park.
Other parking zones across the campus are also proposed to be streamlined. Student Centre parking will be reserved exclusively for students, with a separate entry from the Gandhi Bhawan roundabout. Faculty-only parking will be near the University Business School, with additional spaces behind the Arts Block. In the future, the ground in front of the Law Auditorium may also be linked to the Student Centre road to create extra parking capacity.
The move was first proposed by a traffic management committee constituted under Anil Monga from the centre of police administration in 2023, and later taken forward through a proposal prepared in 2025 by the faculty in-charge of campus security. With key processes now underway, PU is only a few weeks away from rolling out its first paid parking facilities.