Majestic’s parking lot mystery

Majestic’s parking lot mystery
Ever wondered why it is difficult to find parking space at the railway station than at the bus stand?
Suchith.Kidiyoor @timesgroup.com


The distance between the two places is less than 100 metres, but the difference in parking charges at the Bangalore City railway station and the neighbouring Kempe Gowda bus station at Majestic is substantial.
While the contractor at the bus station charges Rs 30 for a two-wheeler for up to 10 hours, the one at the railway station charges just Rs 10. Parking for 24 hours will cost Rs 50 at the bus station but just Rs 20 at the railway station. The result: More twowheeler riders fight for space at the already congested parking lot at the railway station. The bus station houses both the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) and the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC).
“During peak hours, it is extremely difficult to find space at the railway station. We are at the mercy of the parking contractor. As the parking charges are cheaper, even bus passengers leave their vehicles at the railway station,” said Deepak Kumar, a businessmen who travels to Mysore at least four times a week.
A railway employee said, “More people may use the parking lot at the bus station if the charges are reduced.”
However, KSRTC does not have any such plan in mind.
KSRTC Divisional Controller (Kempe Gowda bus station) Prabhu Das said, “The charges are high because we want to discourage people from leaving their vehicles in the parking lot for long durations. There have been instances of motorists leaving behind their vehicles for a couple of weeks. Moreover, we are short of space at the bus station. We plan to close the parking lot after we shift our depots when work on the Metro rail begins.”