Commercial Street to become pedestrian zone

Commercial Street to become pedestrian zone

The Hindu

Bangalore Mahanagara Palike calls tenders to rejuvenate central business district

# Over one lakh people visit Commercial Street on weekends and over 80,000 on week days
# Nearly 400 vehicles enter the street every day
# Govt. nod awaited for the two-year-old, Rs. 1.47-crore project
# Project will include beautification of the streets with wider footpaths
# Parking space to be provided on Dispensary Road; multi-storeyed parking complex planned

BANGALORE: Imagine Commercial Street becoming a "pollution-free pedestrian zone." This is likely to happen by Christmas shopping time.

The Bangalore Mahanagara Palike's (BMP) two-year-old proposal to keep Commercial Street only for pedestrian use is likely to become a reality in the next six months.

Tenders for the project, which is a part of the BMP's plans to rejuvenate the central business district (CBD), have been called and the civic body is awaiting approval from the State Government to start week.

Sources in the BMP's Projects Division told The Hindu on Tuesday that the project has been approved by the BMP Council and the Standing Committee on Works. "Once the Government approves it, work on the project will start," the sources said.

In cold storage

Though the project was conceptualised in 2003 during the former Commissioner, M.R. Sreenivasa Murthy's tenure, it has been kept in "cold storage." To ease traffic problems in the busy shopping area, the BMP has proposed a ban on all vehicular movement and parking during the day on Commercial Street and surrounding roads, including Jewellers' Street, Ibrahim Sab Street, Narayana Pillai Road, Jumma Masjid Road, Veerapillai Street and Lakshman Mudaliar Street. All vehicles that need to unload goods at the shops on the street will be allowed to do so after business hours, the sources said.

The project, estimated to cost Rs 1.47 crore, is aimed at making shopping a pleasure on these streets. Commercial Street is a prime shopping location in the city with over one lakh visitors on weekends and over 80,000 on week days. Nearly 400 vehicles enter the street every day.

The project has been designed by Span Consultants and will include beautification of the streets with wider footpaths. "The 11-metre wide Commercial Street will be divided by a median and a park and a fountain will be developed there to give an aesthetic value to the vicinity," the sources said.

Parking space

Parking space will be provided on Dispensary Road (Kamaraj Road junction). A multi-storeyed (ground plus three floors) automated and underground parking complex is being planned at the junction. The project will be awarded to contractors on build-operate-transfer (BOT) basis.

The BMP had consulted the members of the Bangalore Commercial Association while planning the project.

But after the Mayor, R. Narayanaswamy, scrapped the pay and park scheme in the city from April 1 and parking meters were installed on Commercial Street, Brigade Road and M.G. Road for automated parking, the Association members feel the proposal to ban vehicles on the Street had been stalled.

Alternative parking demanded

Ajay Motwani, an office-bearer of the Association, said the proposal will be a success only if alternative parking is provided. "No doubt the project will benefit the pedestrians on Commercial Street, but pedestrians will have to park their vehicles far away and walk the distance. Parking lots have to be in the vicinity," he said.

Mr. Motwani also pointed out that if the proposal is implemented now, the BMP will be going against its agreement made with the Association regarding parking on the street a few months ago.

As per the agreement, valid for five years, the city corporation will get 40 per cent of the parking collections and the association will keep the rest, Mr. Motwani added.