Parkers' problems continue

Parkers' problems continue

The Hindu

BANGALORE, MARCH 27. The Home Secretary, Brahma Dutt, will submit a report on the pay-and-park system in the city to the Chief Minister, N. Dharam Singh, on Monday.

Highly placed sources in the city police told The Hindu that the State Government will decide whether to withdraw the pay-and-park system or to continue it in a modified form after studying the report.

While the Mayor, R. Narayanaswamy, has said the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) will withdraw the pay-and-park system from April 1, the Banglalore Police Commissioner, S. Mariswamy, has written to the State Government not to do away with it.

He says that such a step will lead to an increase in vehicle theft and also chaos on the roads.

Elsewhere in the city, the parking space problem continues.

Narrow road

The eastern parts of the city, with relatively wider roads, are not exactly a `parking paradise.' The older part of Ulsoor, the Bazaar Street, is now one-way but the narrow road has been made narrower with two-wheeler parking allowed on fairly long stretches. With the pavements almost completely taken over by hawkers and displays by shopkeepers, pedestrians are forced to walk on the road.

The street is increasingly used by vehicles going towards Indiranagar as an alternative to Airport Road or Old Madras Road.

Cambridge Road with more than four schools in the vicinity has its share of problems; traffic has increased and the available parking space is occupied by two-wheelers.

The traffic police have their hands full regulating traffic during school hours and they are often helpless when parents in a hurry double-park cars.

Regulated parking

Indiranagar used to a bit better off but not any longer. CMH Road has become a busy shopping area with several restaurants and parking space is now confined to the streets off it. The 100 ft. road close by has regulated parking which may not suffice if the Metro Rail forces shifting of establishments there. Parking woes are not few in the upmarket Koramangala area.

Even though the area boasts of huge malls and shopping areas such as the Forum Mall, which have their paid parking spaces, a vehicle user invariably has to jostle for parking space.

Those who come to BDA Complex at Koramangala are perhaps the worst affected. "Parking is a big problem for those who visit the railway reservation counters inside the complex. Even though there is a parking area it is always filled to capacity.

"Moreover, a lot of people come to a restaurant in the ground floor of the complex and the problem gets worse," Vijay C., a resident of Viveknagar who often travels to Koramangala for work, laments.

The growing number of eating places, business establishments and lifestyle stores on Koramangala 80 ft. road, 100 ft. road and the adjacent lanes and bylanes have added to the misery of commuters.

"Even if you have to draw money from an ATM on these roads finding a parking space can be a big nuisance," says a resident.