On weekends, visitors to Bengaluru’s Cubbon Park can park their cars next to Old KGID building

Bengaluru: To reclaim Cubbon Park's peace from the cacophony of vehicles on weekends, police are unlocking a long-overlooked solution — opening the gates of the parking area next to Old KGID (Karnataka Govt Insurance Department) building for public parking.
For the first time, the prime govt space will double up as a parking zone on Sundays and on Saturdays when the high court is not working, aiming to unclog the choked arteries leading to one of Bengaluru's beloved green spaces.
The parking area will be open to the public from 6am to 6.30pm from this weekend and is expected to accommodate up to 600 vehicles — 200 cars and 400 two-wheelers. The charges will be Rs 25 per hour for two-wheelers and Rs 50 for cars. "There have been persistent parking issues in the area. We felt the days when the high court is be working is the right time to open up this space for public parking," said Anitha B Haddannavar, deputy commissioner of police (traffic-west). "Side roads leading to Cubbon Park are often choked with haphazardly parked vehicles, causing congestion. This initiative aims to decongest those roads," she added.
Activists welcomed the move but urged the authorities to ensure proper regulation. "It's a good initiative, but must not be taken over by parking mafia. In many parts of the city, people park their vehicles all day and walk away, worsening traffic woes. This space must be managed responsibly," said Umesh Kumar, president of Cubbon Park Walker Association.
Cubbon Park walker Badresh Karam Singh said the move would ease his challenge to find a parking spot in the morning when he comes to the park to run. "I used to park the car at Kanteerava Stadium and walk into Cubbon Park to exercise, but now I am happy I can park it in the high court and then easily spend more time running," Singh said.
Echoing similar sentiments was Parul Jain, an athlete who enjoys spending time over the weekend with children at Cubbon Park where she takes her pet for a walk. "Spending time in the park with them was a challenge because of parking issues. Sometimes my son would be upset to walk to the car, which I would park near the Central Library gate. But now with the facility at high court, it is easier for me to get in and out of the park," Jain told TOI.