How standard (and valid) are South African parking standards?

Abstract

Parking standards ensure that the correct parking allocation is provided for at land uses. Historically, minimum parking standards were applied worldwide, indicating the minimum number of parking bays that must be provided per land use. Many industrialised countries now regulate parking allowances by applying a maximum parking rate, limiting the number of parking bays per land use, which can assist to reduce travel demand and promote sustainable transport options. South Africa still adheres to minimum parking standards. Parking standards in South Africa are curated and published by individual local and metropolitan municipalities. The first objective of this paper is to compare South African parking standards in various municipalities for numerous land uses. Parking standards were observed to vary widely between municipal areas, resulting in vastly different parking requirements for the same land uses. The second objective of this research was to develop a methodology to conduct representative parking studies to evaluate if there is regularly an oversupply in parking bays at new developments as a result of minimum parking requirements. The findings of this paper indicate that South African parking standards should be reviewed to allow an equitable approach to parking provision between municipalities. Research into a move to maximum parking standards is also required to prevent an oversupply of parking and encourage sustainable transport usage where public transport options are available.