Meter up?

Meter up?
New Indian Express

BANGALORE: To pay or not to pay, that is the question. Arguments fly both ways. Quite a few say it’s okay to pay, while others are convinced you can pay and still get no protection for your vehicles.

When the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) withdrew the parking fee a year ago, there was no question of contractors collecting excess fees any more.

The disadvantage was indisciplined parking. The number of vehicles introduced is rising every day, and many look forward to help with parking.

Albert David, a businessman, says, ‘‘I think the pay and park system needs to be introduced. People park haphazardly and people who genuinely come for work or to shop do not get to park their vehicles.’’

Avinash Chugani, a college student, says, ‘‘People pay the minimum fee even when they park for a few minutes. I think people are comfortable as it is now and I don’t see the need for a parking fee. Moreover, the parking vendors only care about the money you give them and do not take care of the vehicles so it’s as good as no one being there.’’

But Suhail Yusuff, secretary of Brigades Shops and Establishments Association, has a success story to tell. ‘‘Automated parking should be introduced throughout the city. We invested Rs 40 lakh in getting the meters and starting off on Brigade Road, with no investment from the government. Association members who had invested the money did not want their money back as their business had gone up by 40 per cent. There was no parallel parking problem anymore.’’

A half of the revenue earned through this system is given to the BMP. ‘‘On an average, the money we collect in a month is Rs 3 lakh, with an average of 1,300 cars parked a day. This system not only makes good business sense but also solves problems. Automated parking has transparency in revenue collection and traffic regulation and it should be encouraged.’’

Plans to introduce the automated meter parking instead of the pay and park contract system seems a safe bet for the BMP after its successful implementation on Brigade Road and Commercial Street.

According to Krishne Gowda, Deputy Commissioner for Development, BMP, ‘‘Nothing has materialised. It is likely to be introduced in other areas in the near future.’’

The automated parking system undoubtedly seems the most apt solution to solve the parking problem. But why is the BMP taking so long to implement it in other areas? Yusuff says, ‘‘I don’t know why the BMP is taking so long to implement it in other areas. I guess it’s the people who occupy higher posts in the BMP and the government that need to be pressured a little if any action is to be taken’’.