BENGALURU: The fact that traffic police and
BBMP have imposed a parking ban on the refurbished
Church Street as an afterthought has left many vehicle users and shopping establishments along the stretch fuming.
The move has left regular road users scrambling for parking space, considering there is little space on the ever-busy MG Road and other stretches around. The nearest public parking space is only at
Shivajinagar. On Tuesday, traffic cops banned parking on the 715-metre stretch of Church Street, in what they claimed was an attempt to make it more pedestrian friendly.
The ban is said to be on chief minister Siddaramaiah’s instructions, who, on the day of the street’s launch, is said to have asked why parking should be allowed on the renovated road. On Tuesday, traffic police and civic officials promptly barricaded designated parking spaces and masked the boards.
However, the CM’s office maintained no directions had been issued by
Siddaramaiah to ban movement of vehicles or parking on Church Street. "During the inauguration of the renovated street, some people congratulated the CM for making the stretch pedestrian-friendly and suggested that it be closed for traffic on weekends and opened only to pedestrians on these days. However, the CM did not direct anyone to ban parking on Church Street. We will speak to BBMP officials about this."
Incidentally, the BBMP had been trumpeting about how it had reserved parking space for women motorists and riders, and even put up boards earmarking space for them.
BBMP officials themselves admit in private that the CM, in fact, only wished that vehicles aren’t allowed to park on the carriageway and that the same is being misunderstood by traffic police. "Will they allow knick-knack vendors in parking bays," wondered a BBMP official.
Manoj K, manager at an eatery on the street, said now many customers go back on knowing that parking isn’t allowed on the road. "Neither we nor the customers are used to this. When the street was renovated with clearly laid-out parking bays, where is the need now to barricade them? It won’t be of any help to motorists as it cannot be part of the carriageway. Nor would this aid pedestrians, who’d have to get off the pavements to use this space," he added.
Another manager with a pub said though the road has two private parking spaces, not everybody can afford them as they charge anywhere from Rs 10 to Rs 20 per hour for two-wheelers and a minimum of Rs 50 for four-wheelers.
Pranathi K, a software analyst and a regular visitor to Church Street, said she loved the well-laid road and other amenities. "The road definitely needs more space for pedestrians. But barricading the already developed parking bays looks odd," she added.
Irfan Noor, secretary,
Church Street Occupants Association, said the parking ban will inconvenience about 100 commercial establishments located on the road. "We are in talks with the local legislator and other authorities on the way out," he added.
Never promised parking space
We never promised parking space for commercial establishments. The parking ban is to make Church Street more of a walkers’ street. Many establishments have converted their parking lots into commercial spaces. If they clear them, they can provide enough parking space for many
KT Nagaraj | chief engineer (project central), BBMP
