Motorists rage against parking ban on main roads

Motorists rage against parking ban on main roads
New Indian Express

BANGALORE: First came the one-ways, then angular parking, then parallel parking and now no-parking.

The traffic police diktat banning parking on 14 major roads in shopping and commercial hubs comes like a dampener this Diwali with motorists.

Before you think of shopping or purchasing something, make sure you have place to park your vehicle.

Swank shopping arcades and commercial entities could mean big walks after the ban comes into force on October 24.

The ban on parking will not just affect motorists and car owners, it will also bring nightmares for the shopkeepers, bringing down their business.

A member of Chikkapet Electrical Shop Owners Association said that the new rule would ruin their business.

‘‘Now with no parking on BVK Iyengar Raod, Hospital Road, Avenue Road and the Chickpet main road traders will have no space to park their own vehicles”.

“Even after collecting all taxes, the government fails to provide parking. We complained to the police as early as 2003, but for no gain. Where should we go now?’’ he thundered.

Nagesh, a shopowner at the Gandhinagar commercial complex pretests, ‘‘It is ridiculous.

The government should withdraw the plan. ‘‘Nearly 2,000-3,000 vehicles are parked here during peak hours”.

“The parking complex cannot accommodate so many vehicles. Once a road is converted into a one way (Gandhi Nagar I Main), parking must be allowed on at least one side of the road,’’ he said.

Mahesh Kumar, a lawyer at Lalbagh area, felt that the squeezing of rule-violators by corrupt cops will go up now.

Public too are a frustrated. For instance, in Gandhinagar, parking on 1st main, 1st cross and 5th main have been banned.

The alternative is the Kempe Gowda Maharaja parking complex, which can accommodate only 400 cars and 750 two wheelers.

Cunningham Road has a big number of ATMs, restaurants, offices and shops. People here have no clue where to park their vehicles.

Mithali, a college student, said that the ban lacked logic. ‘‘They have banned parking on the roads which fall under one-way systems too”.

“First provide adequate parking place and then streamline them,’’ she said.

RV Road has many deviated cross roads, the parking will still cause disturbance in the residential areas.

The JC Road parking Complex could only be the alternative, where one has to shell out Rs 350 every month.

Though ban on parking might widen the main roads in Malleshwaram the traffic will be congested in the cross roads.