Brigade’s to display parking info

Brigade’s to display parking info
The Times of India

Bangalore: Heading to Brigade Road but worrying about getting a parking slot? Come June 1, you can be sure there is a slot waiting even before you enter the street.
Brigade Road is set to get India’s first on-street Parking Information System (PIS) in the next 45 days. Three display boards indicating the availability will be installed on the road. One of these will be located at the Brigade Road-M G Road junction, the second near Rest House road intersection and the third between Rest House road intersection and Nilgiri’s.
As the display board specifies the parking slot available, vehicles need not slow down searching for parking. This will ensure free flow of traffic on the road.
The project is an initiative of Brigade’s Shops and Establishments Association (BSEA). Association secretary Suhail Yusuff promises much more: “Wait for a little over one year, we will provide Brigade Road parking information to people through SMS. Send an SMS to a particular number seeking information on parking status, you will get a reply on your cellphone. BSEA is working out a deal with a Malaysian firm in this regard.’’
Brigade’s, which is known as the fashion street of Bangalore with pubs and shops selling designer labels, is the first street in the country to get automated on-street parking information. BSEA initiated the automated parking system on the road with eight machines in June 2004. These machines were purchased from a Malaysian firm at a cost of Rs 40 lakh, generated by the traders on the road.
“After installing the automated parking system, our business has gone up by 40 per cent. A vehicle is allowed to park for only two hours on the road, with this more people get a chance to park. Apart from this, we collect Rs 5 for every half an hour. This chases away window shoppers. People with a clear intent of shopping come here. The PIS, which is being installed at a cost of Rs 48 lakh, is expected to give a further boost to business on the road,’’ Suhail said. Buoyed by the success of the automated parking system on Brigade road, BBMP has announced a similar system on 30-plus arterial roads of the city. Even Hubli-Dharwad has evinced interest in introducing the system.