Parking: in a spot of trouble

CHAOS CONTROL
Parking: in a spot of trouble
Is there any long term, feasible solution to parking problems in Bangalore? Here’s a way out...
The Times of India

IS parking putting you in a spot these days or are you happy with the way things are now? The Bangalore City Corporation abandoning the pay-and-park scheme is evoking mixed reactions from Bangaloreans. Many are relieved that they are no longer at the mercy of parking attendants and others maintain that parking areas are now very chaotic. But with the BCC not coming up with any alternative to regulate vehicle parking, what can be done to avoid further chaos?

With severe paucity of parking spaces in the city, a tougher crackdown on those who have violated the rules and converted basement parking to commercial spaces is the ideal answer. But experts say it could take years to happen.

Former BATF member V Ravichander feels that a hybrid solution is best for a city like ours. “There are several traffic-heavy areas in the city which have a high parking requirement and do require regulated parking. I’m in favour of having just 20-30 places in the city with the pay-and-park facility on an hourly basis and the rest with free parking. They should be identified on the basis of how much of traffic flows through the area, for what duration people park in those places and how much existing parking space is there at present.”

According to Ravichander, taking the middle path on the parking issue will not only generate funds which can be used for bettering parking infrastructure, it will also make people who park more responsible.

A concerned citizen Ravi Prakash says that it is the joint responsibility of the police and the BCC to regulate parking in the city. “Governments abroad rope in many authorities to tackle the problem. Let it be regulated, without people having to pay a parking fee. Let the fee be levied through taxes if required. Tough action must be taken against basement parking violators and then you will see how many parking spaces open up here.”

Some Bangaloreans feel that the old system was dismissed without much thought going into what alternative system to put in place, once it was scrapped. Says civic activist and Janaagraha founder Ramesh Ramanathan, “It’s not like there were major flaws in the previous system. If there were, why weren’t they brought up? I feel that the BCC can maintain the existing system for another year and use that time to make the decision-making process open and fine tune the parking system in the c i t y. A l s o, public parking can be made free in places like g ove r n m e n t buildings and hospitals. Parking passes can be introduced and different pricing can be implemented for parking in different areas. Parking can also be made free on weekends and holidays.”

If resources are inadequate to better the parking system, Ravichander says that the BCC can explore tying up with insurance firms to levy a one-time nominal yearly charge which allows vehicle users to park in general parking areas.

A GUIDE TO PROPER PARKING

• Don’t park your vehicle haphazardly
• Do not park in front of a private gate or driveway
• Ensure that your vehicle takes up only one parking space
• Judge your position visually if you are parallel parking, especially if there are no attendants to guide you
• Don’t wait too long or park at a drop-off zone
• Find out on which side of the road parking is allowed