No more free vehicle parking, says Govt

No more free vehicle parking, says Govt
New Indian Express

BANGALORE: Parking in the city won’t be free much longer. The Government has ordered reintroduction of pay and park from this financial year.

The Government cancelled last year’s resolution of the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP), which had made parking free in the city. The then mayor R Narayanaswamy had mooted abolition of paid parking due to complaints of harassment by parking contractors.

There were also complaints of subcontracting and collection of excess fees without receipts. Such discrepancies had lead to a clash between a motorist and a parking attendant, leading to the murder of the motorist.

In January last year the BMP Council had adopted a resolution to abolish pay and park and to make good the revenue loss by means of infrastructure cess and health cess.

The BMP decision had invited criticism from the City Police Commissioner who had written to the BMP Commissioner saying that free parking would lead to haphazard parking.

Narayanaswamy had maintained that the police should take care of vehicular safety and invited mobile operators to take care of parking spaces. However that did not work.

The Government in April last year had issued a show cause notice to the BMP as to why its resolution should not be cancelled. However, the Government has decided to introduce paid parking with modifications to prevent harassment to motorists.

The BMP used to get over Rs 4 crore per year from parking lots, and it is keen on getting this revenue again.

BMP Commissioner K Jothiramalingam told this website’s newspaper that pay parking would be brought in with changes. He said local traders’ associations would be encouraged to take over parking management.

Such metered systems on Brigade Road and Commercial Street have been doing well and similar efforts would be preferred, he said. The city unit of the BJP, which had protested the irregularities in parking contracts, is skeptical about the proposal.

BJP spokesman S Prakash said paid parking would work against the interests of motorists reintroduced in the old format.

“Earlier the paid parking lots were created even in residential areas and you would end up paying for parking anywhere in the city. They should restrict paid parking to commercial areas,” he said.