Another scheme to ease parking chaos

Another scheme to ease parking chaos
Mayor’s Proposal: To Hand Over 142 Roads Under One Package
The Times of India

Bangalore: Even as harried motorists heaved a sigh of relief at mayor R. Narayanaswamy’s proposal to scrap the pay-and-park scheme, he has hit upon another scheme to ease chaos in parking areas.

Outlining the second proposal he plans to place before the BCC council, the mayor told The Times of India that it will have a dual purpose — ensure orderly parking space; make up for BCC’s revenue loss.

The proposal: to hand over to bidders all 142 roads marked for the payand-park scheme under a single package. The highest bidder will get the right to display pole advertisements at designated spaces on all these roads. Further, he will be liable to maintain parking space there and station an attendant at his cost to regulate parking. “Those who park their vehicles won’t have to pay the attendant anything,’’ the mayor explained.

The scheme will not only ease congestion in the city, but also ensure maximum revenue for BCC. “The proposal aims at benefiting the middle-class. How can you expect somebody to pay up even if he stops his vehicle for a few minutes to buy medicines,’’ Narayanaswamy asked.

“I spent time observing the problems motorists faced when the payand-park scheme was in force. I felt it was high time something was done about it,’’ he added.

Attendants stationed at the parking lots will need to wear uniform and have an identity card. This, he said, will lead to a uniformity across the city. The BCC also benefits — the contractor will maintain orderly parking and add to the city’s aesthetic appeal, the mayor observed.

With all advertisement displays being equal in dimension, the aesthetic value of the spaces too gets a boost. “I am keen on introducing such peoplefriendly initiatives,’’ he asserted.

Citizens have welcomed the scraping of pay-and-park scheme: “The move comes as a boon. The scheme held 65 lakh Bangaloreans to ransom; we were at the mercy of attendants. I can’t believe that just for Rs 5 crore, the very civic agency that is supposed to look after our welfare, actually created and unleashed a Frankenstein on us”, said Mahendra Reddy, a resident of Indiranagar.

WHAT IT ENTAILS

Twin objective: ensure orderly parking space; make up for BCC’s revenue loss Hand over to bidders all 142 roads marked for pay-and-park scheme Highest bidder can display pole advertisements at designated spaces on these roads. He’ll be liable to maintain parking space and station an attendant at his cost to regulate parking Attendants need to wear uniform; have identity card. Motorists don’t have to pay to attendants