Visitors to be allowed parking in complexes

Visitors to be allowed parking in complexes
BBMP Gives Building Owners Three Days Time
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bangalore: Commercial complexes and residential apartments, remove the boards on your gates reading “visitor’s parking not allowed.’’
The BBMP will soon crack down on buildings that do not allow visitors to park on their premises, as this forces parking on roads leading to clogging, traffic jams and noise pollution to residents.
BBMP has given three days’ time to commercial complexes and apartment blocks to allow visitors’ parking and remove boards prohibiting it, failing which penal action and prosecution will be initiated.
In a public notice issued on Tuesday, BBMP commissioner S Subramanya stated that as per building bye-laws and zoning regulations, 10% of car parking area should be reserved for visitors in both apartments as well as commercial complexes. “However, it is observed that many commercial complexes and apartments display boards saying visitor car parking is not allowed within their premises. This has resulted in vehicles being parked on the streets, causing congestion and traffic problems,’’ Subramanya said in the notice.
The commissioner ordered with immediate effect that all commercial complexes and apartments remove boards preventing visitors’ car parking, provide 10% parking space in addition to the sanctioned number of vehicle parking for the said buildings and designate the extra 10% area for visitors.
“All existing boards shall be removed within 3 days from the date of this notice. In case of any disregard of this notice, penal action and prosecution proceedings will be initiated,’’ Subramanya has warned.
People can lodge complaints with the zonal additional/joint commissioners, BBMP, if buildings are found violating the law.
Gated communities under scanner
Gated communities — private layouts where residents block roads passing through the colony by putting up gates and barricades, providing entry only to those visiting the layout — have come under the BBMP scanner.
BBMP has issued a public notice that several layouts in the old BMP and erstwhile CMC areas have put up barricades, preventing entry of vehicles and pedestrians. They have even posted guards at the ‘gates’.
BBMP commissioner S Subramanya, in the notice issued on Tuesday, clarified that under the Town and Country Planning Act, there is no such concept. “Once a layout is formed, the roads therein automatically come under the jurisdiction of the respective corporation. The general public are free to use the roads within the layout. Hence, establishing barricades and preventing people from using the internal roads of a layout is against the law,’’ Subramanya has said.
The commissioner has instructed that all such barricades and boards shall be removed immediately, failing which the jurisdiction engineers will remove the obstructions and prosecute the erring person/association.
People can complain to their jurisdictional officers about any such layouts.