In a bid to move from chaotic to organised parking in Bengaluru, Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Tuesday directed Chief Secretary TM Vijay Bhaskar to review and revise the draft Parking Policy 2.0 before submitting it to the cabinet. A senior official from the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) told IANS that the draft Parking Policy 2.0 comprises three prominent components -- moving from chaotic to organised parking; moving from free parking to paid parking system; and making possession of parking permits mandatory for all existing and new vehicles across the city.

"The last of the three seems to be the biggest stumbling block in implementing this policy, as not many politicians are willing to bite this silver bullet," the official claimed.

During the meeting, the officials apprised the CM about the need for a parking policy as in the last seven years, the number of vehicles has doubled in the city. "We have nearly 80 lakh vehicles for a city of 1.2 crore population. Therefore, we need a controlling mechanism and tech-based parking system to regulate traffic as well as parking," the official added.

Besides this, the Parking Policy 2.0 also suggests that most of the wholesale markets need to move  from central areas in the city to peripheral areas. "Freight vehicles will have to be banned from parking on the street for loading and unloading during the day. Lorry terminals and warehousing facilities will have to be established for this," the official added.

He further said that the CM has insisted on reviewing and revising the draft parking policy.

Knowing these implications, the BBMP has already taken a lead in collaborating with a private company to help Bengaluru residents opt for a tech-based parking system. "We have developed the Namma Bengaluru Smart Parking App and identified as many as 85 roads within the CBD (Central Business District) area," the official said.