Parking policy may be put on hold

The yet-to-be-held elections to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) may pose a challenge to the smooth implementation of Parking Policy 2.0 of Bengaluru, which was recently approved by the state government. Some legislators believe the plan to collect annual permit fee for parking in residential areas might receive backlash from people. This, they say, could also hamper the winning prospects of the ruling party in the state government.

On Thursday, Deputy Chief Minister CN Ashwath Narayan also stated that the government is not planning to implement the new parking policy immediately. “Experts have suggested imposing a heavy parking fee to reduce traffic congestion and thereby attract people towards using public transport. We will implement the policy only after examining both pros and cons,” he said.

Besides the annual permit system in the residential layouts, the policy also proposes to introduce pay and park system on almost all public roads where people are currently parking without paying a fee.



NR Haris, MLA from Shantinagar said the residential parking fee system is difficult to implement. “It makes no sense to charge for parking in front of someone’s house. What the government must first do is implement pay and park system in the commercial areas,” he said. He also wanted the government to increase investment in public transport so that people have an option to stop using personal vehicles. “Lack of public transport system is the key reason for the drastic increase in personal vehicles,” the legislator from the Congress party said.

Uday Garudachar, MLA of Chickpete, who represents the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, said pay and park system is a step in the right direction but difficult to implement.