Automated parking system' comes to Commercial Street

Automated parking system' comes to Commercial Street

The Times of India

10 meters installed; new regulation evokes mixed reactions

BANGALORE: Traffic on Commercial Street is usually chaotic. But with the launch of the "Automated Parking System", it seems some order has been restored. Ten parking meters have now been installed on the street. Metered parking was introduced for the first time in Bangalore on Brigade Road.

Brought into force last week, the regulated parking system has evoked mixed reactions. "The pay-and-park scheme has been withdrawn, but with special permission from the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike we have introduced `Automated Parking System' here," said Nazim, Chairman, Bangalore Commercial Association.

"We have also put in a lot of time and money on this project," he added. These sophisticated meters were specially imported from France. The aim of this project is to regulate traffic and ensure proper parking.

"During peak hours over 1,400 cars pass through this road every day," says Masood, who is in-charge of traffic regulation on Commercial Street, appointed by the association. "Due to scarcity of parking space the practice of double parking had become rampant and this can now be curbed," he added. In the new scheme, which allows only single lane parking, seventy cars can be accommodated at a time.

The process is simple. Visitors can park their cars and then go to the "Automatic Parking Meter" which is user-friendly. They can key in their car numbers and then obtain a parking ticket from the parking meter. The parking fee for half an hour is Rs. 5 and a car can be parked for a maximum of two hours. A parking attendant has also been appointed.

To enforce this new scheme effectively the authorities have laid down rules such as "parking ticket needs to be displayed on the dashboard and needs to be renewed every two hours, else it may lead to the vehicle being towed away''. "But not everyone follows these rules," said Veeresh, a security personnel. "My job is to check whether the ticket is displayed on the dashboard and ensure proper parking. Any mistake by the car owner ignored by me will cost me a fine of Rs. 15," he added.

The response of car owners to this new scheme has so far been positive. Seema Pai, a a shopper, said, "It is much less chaotic now. I can freely walk on the road and enjoy my shopping."

But, on the other hand, a driver, Das said, "It has definitely eased traffic, but I need to find parking far away even though my work would take only two minutes."

The traffic police are happy. They feel that with high parking fees to pay and the fear of their vehicles being towed away if they are late, few are going to leave their cars parked for hours together depriving others of parking space. They can also now deal more firmly with those double parking or idling for too long.