Debate on parking fee rages on

Debate on parking fee rages on
Vijay Times

WILL Bangaloreans have to pay to park their vehicles on City roads? W ell, only time will tell. With the Bangalore City Corporation (BCC) planning to reintroduce the ’Pay and Park’ scheme, every vehicle user in the City will have to wait for the new JD(S)-BJP government’s decision in this regard.

Though a resolution to reintroduce the ’Pay and Park’ scheme was tabled at the subject meeting of the BCC Council on Saturday , the ruling Congress was forced to defer it.

While the members of the BJP wanted free parking to continue, the JD(S), which was of the same opinion as that of the Congress on the issue, wanted the scheme scrapped.

Speaking to B BV VT T, , BJP leader A H Basavaraju said : "It was we (BJP) who initiated the scrapping of the ’Pay and Park’ scheme. As the BJP is also in power , the new coalition government cannot listen to the demands of the JD(S) alone. W e will bring pressure on the government to continue free parking in the City . W e will t up the matter personally with the district in-charge minister , after he is nominated." When contacted, former Mayor R Narayanaswamy , who was responsible for scrapping the controversial ’Pay and Park’ scheme from April 1 last year , said : "It not fair to reintroduce the ’Pay and Park’ scheme." "The public are happy with the decision.

Why burden them again," he asked. Explaining the reasons for his stand, he said : "The revenue to the BCC has increased after the system was scrapped. The civic body earned Rs 4 crore through the ’Pay and Park’ scheme. As an alternative to it, we augmented the revenue from hoardings, which has increased to Rs 30 to 35 crore from Rs 18 crore. The BCC need not depend on the revenue earned from the ’Pay and Park’ scheme alone." Vinod, working as a sales executive in a private firm in the City , said : "I travel a lot daily and am forced to park my vehicle atleast in 10 different places. When the ’Pay and Park’ scheme was in force, I used to shell out Rs 20 to 25 a day as parking f Now , I am saving so much money . The ones demanding the reintroduction of the scheme are trying to fulfil their selfish motives and are trying to support the contractors concerned."