Parking policy 2.0 to cover more roads in Bengaluru

BENGALURU: The problem of willy-nilly parking and the question of where to park vehicles will soon be addressed as the Department of Urban Land Transport (DULT) is set to come out with parking policy 2.0. During the lockdown, DULT officials had chalked out the draft of where parking should be restricted and where permitted. Now field surveys are being done to finalise their blueprint. 

Earlier, the parking plan was prepared for 85 roads and it was approved by the government. The policy 2.0 has also been approved. There will be a revision in base parking rates, area-wise, when compared to what has been already been approved by the government, officials from the Urban Development Department told TNSE. 

“The new policy is for other roads apart from the 85 already listed. It will be introduced in stages. To start with, the policy will cover prime commercial spaces, after which it will be introduced in residential areas. This is because a more detailed study and ward-wise action plan needs to be prepared,” DULT Commissioner V Manjula said. 

The DULT is also working on meetings with the BBMP zonal commissioners and the zonal task force to discuss the parking policy and its implementation. The government is also working on how a public consultation meeting can be held. 

In the new policy, the department is working on how parking can be restricted on roads through designated parking zones and small pockets. Officials pointed out that parking was easier to regulate in commercial spaces as there are many options - alternate days, streets and sides of the road, utilising existing terminals and commercial spaces. But this is difficult in residential areas where people have more vehicles than parking spaces. Moreover, there are mixed zones and very few true residential areas.