Automated parking here soon

Automated parking here soon

The Lokayukta has in fact directed BMP to do away with the pay-and-park system on City roads in the wake of the controversy surrounding it.

Deccan Herald

Come April, vehicle parking on the busy M G Road and Commercial Street will go automated.

The Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) has given a green signal to Bangalore Traders’ Association to install automated parking machines on these roads, on the lines of the one on Brigade Road. BMP and the Association will shortly enter into an agreement for the installation of parking machines, their maintenance and revenue sharing aspects.

The Association, which has drawn inspiration from Brigade Road experiment on regularising car parking by way of vending parking tickets through machines, has already placed an order for the supply of 20 machines to Smart Park — a France-based private firm. Each parking machine is estimated to cost Rs 3 lakh.

According to BMP official sources, machines are expected to arrive here in March. “Soon after, the machines will be put up and the project will be launched formally in April. Initially, 10 machines will be installed in each of these roads,” the sources told Deccan Herald.

Unlike the system on Brigade Road, both two-wheelers and four-wheelers will be allowed to park on M G Road and Commercial Street for a limited number of hours under the new system. Once the system is put in place, vehicles can be parked for a maximum of 2 hours.

Bangalore Traders’ Association Secretary B T Srinath said BMP will allot space for installation of machines, while the Association will bear all expenses, including the purchase and maintenance of these machines.

The Traders’ Association and BMP would share the revenue generated out of this project on 60:40 basis. “Maintenance cost of the system on M G Road and Commercial street will be much higher compared to that on Brigade Road, where BMP and Brigade Shoppers’ Association have been sharing the revenue equally.
So we have asked for 60 per cent share of the revenue,” Mr Srinath explained.

In the wake of controversy surrounding pay and park system in the city, Lokayukta Justice N Venkatachala has directed BMP to do away with the existing pay and park system on the City roads.

After examining charges made by the city Unit of BJP against the parking system in Malleshwaram area, Justice Venkatachala has asked BMP to stop collecting fee for parking vehicles on roads and suggested not to award tenders any further for the collection of fee.

“There is no need for collecting fee for parking vehicles. It neither earns enough revenue nor helps regulating traffic movement. Moreover, there are ample opportunity for the contractor to misuse the authority given to collect the fee,” he said.