YAY: BMP to build car park on Italian model

Yet-Another-Yawn-inducer: BMP's track record of building multi-storeyed parking lots has been pathetic. Either they are never completed or they are turned over for commercial usage. This is a new attempt to siphon of more money in the name of building parking lots.

BMP to build car park on Italian model
The Hindu

BANGALORE, FEB. 28. If you have not seen Italy, you may soon get to see a chunk of it in Bangalore. The city is all set to have an Italian model of computerised underground car parking complex in the busy Majestic area.

To end parking problems and also to decongest the crowded commercial hub, the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) proposes to set up a nine-floor computerised underground car parking lot in front of National Market. It will have a commercial complex on the ground floor.

This automated car park, which can accommodate 108 cars (12 on each floor), will be constructed on a build-operate-transfer basis by the Mumbai-based Shimnet Infrastructure Ltd., which has a tie-up with Italian builders.

As per the agreement, the builder will construct the car park on a triangular piece of BMP land (between Sukh Sagar and Syndicate Bank branch) at a cost of Rs. 10 crores.

The BMP Engineer-in-Chief, Ramegowda, told The Hindu on Monday that Shimnet Infrastructure Ltd. has constructed a similar car park in Rome. "The company will operate the facility for 18 years and then transfer it to the BMP. The proposal has been approved by the BMP Council and will soon be sent to the State Government for its nod," he said.

If required, the BMP will take up the work as a `special project' and also apply for change in land use from the Bangalore Development Authority. This is because the Majestic area is a commercial hub and, if the land has to be used for some other purpose, permission should be obtained.

Automatic parking

Pointing out that automated parking will save the driver the task of searching for a parking space, Mr. Ramegowda said a car will be automatically parked in an available slot (shown by a computer) after the driver and passengers leave it in a drive-in centre shaft in the complex.

"We will not deploy any personnel to manage the car park as the computer will do the registration and also take requests for retrieving the car," he said.

Similar car parks are being planned on Dickenson Road (near Kamaraj Road) and also near Russell Market in Shivajinagar.

An underground three-floor car park (two for parking and one commercial), which can accommodate 300 cars, has been planned at the junction of Dispensary Road and Kamaraj Road (Dickenson Road), Mr. Ramegowda said.

The tendering process has been completed and the Kolkata-based Simplex Construction Company has been chosen for the project.

The terms and conditions are being finalised, he said.

Another project

The BMP also proposes to build a multilevel car park near Russell Market in Shivajinagar. Although the civic body has invited tenders, there has been no response from builders.

"But we will again invite tenders shortly," Mr. Ramegowda added.