Brigade Road - Smooth ride ends, woes return

Brigade Road - Smooth ride ends, woes return
AKANKSHA MEHROTRA
DC | BENGALURU


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The much appre ciated automated parking system introduced by the Brigade’s Shop and Establishment Association (BSEA) in collaboration with BBMP has run into trouble
The BBMP has not renewed its contract with the association which ends on June 26, and has instead called for tenders from other parties to run the pay and park system on the road, which generated an annual revenue of Rs 2,02,21,827 over the past five years. As much as 50 per cent of this revenue went into BBMP coffers
But despite the huge profit it made, the BBMP has made no move to renew the contract with the associa tion, which has shut down the parking lot meters as a result, for the last few days
But the BBMP refuses to take the blame, claiming the BSEA did not discuss the renewal of contract with it and left it with no choice but to call for tenders to run the Brigade Road parking system. BBMP commissioner, Bharat Lal Meena says the tenders will be processed shortly
But Suhail Yusuf, secretary, BSEA, says a letter dated June 19 was given to the BBMP commissioner for extension of the automated pay and park system on Brigade Road
“The agreement dated June 21, 2004 between BBMP and BSEA expires on June 26 this year. As there was no response from the BBMP to our letter the contract has now expired. We closed the automated system as we didn’t want to work illegally after the expiry of the contract,” Mr Yusuf says
”We appointed 14 security guards 24x7 to take care of the whole system. Most of the revenue we got from running the system, went into maintaining the machines. It was a no profit no loss venture for us. But we kept it going for the convenience of the public,” he explains
The BBMP’s decision to invite tenders has given rise to fears about the parking mafia making its way into Brigade Road
The BBMP has in the past been forced to drop parking contractors following allegations of large scale misappropriation of revenue, duplicate ticketing and harrasment of the public. It was in this scenario that the BSEA came up with the idea of automated parking metres which became an instant hit, bringing in orderly parking on Brigade Road and security for the cars
The system worked particularly well as it put a two-hour cap for parking on the road. The question now is: Will the BBMP be able to duplicate the efficiency of the automated parking system with another contractor, who may not have as much reason to see that it functions well, as the shopkeepers themselves?