Parking to be made smooth at railway station

Parking to be made smooth at railway station
The Hindu

Automated parking system was launched at the main entrance two months ago on trial basis

# Modifications are being made to the system after getting feedback from users
# Parking fees for cars will range from Rs. 10 for the first hour to Rs. 20 for every two hours thereof
# For two-wheelers, it will be Rs. 3 upwards, varying with the time used up

Bangalore: Hunting around for a parking slot at the city railway station will soon be over. Neither will you have to pay someone who is presumably a parking attendant and then come away without a receipt.

While the railways cannot yet guarantee that another careless vehicle owner may not leave a scratch on your vehicle, they are out to regulate parking and paying for it, an automated affair at city railway station.

South Western Railway authorities are out to both ensure smooth parking at the station and reduce dependence on the parking lot staff who may or not account for all that they collect from vehicle owners.

The main gate of the railway station records traffic flow of 1,000 to 1,500 cars and 500 to 600 two-wheelers each day.

A smaller number use the rear entrance where the Shatabdi and other trains arrive and depart.

The automated parking system now being planned will make the optimum use of the 6,450 sq m available for parking at both sides of the station.

Two months ago a trial run was made with the introduction of computerised parking tickets for two-wheelers at the main entrance.

With feedback from the users, modifications are being made to be included in the regular automated system to come.

What will happen when the automated system comes into operation is that your car will be halted at a remote controlled barrier at the entrance.

Your car or motorcycle number will be punched into a computerised machine and a printout with date, time and vehicle number will be handed over to you; the ticket will have a magnetic stripe that can be swiped again when you drive out.

As soon as the ticket has been issued, the barrier goes up. Parking fees for cars will range from Rs. 10 for the first hour to Rs. 20 for every two hours for long-term parking.

For two-wheelers, parking fees will be Rs. 3 upwards, varying with the time used up.

While leaving the station premises, a parking lot employee will collect the ticket, insert it in a machine where the time is noted and you pay the fee according to the exact time your vehicle was parked for.

Tenders have been called for and as the system will be a transparent one, vehicle owners are expected to welcome the move.

Of course, as the parking charges are by the hour nobody is likely to occupy a slot for too long.