Citizens of Bengaluru will soon have to pay for all street parking, even if it is in front of their house on the street. The proposed Management and Maintenance of Parking Rules, 2018, which has received the Cabinet’s nod, will make all forms of street parking payable. It will come into place after the Model Code of Conduct for the Lok Sabha polls is lifted. It will also increase revenue for the government.
As per the rules, there will be a total ban on the restriction of street-side parking in high-density mobility corridors. Even road permits for new vehicles will be issued or renewed only upon submission of proof of parking space.
Parking plans for each area will be formulated following the provisions of Revised Master Plan, 2015, and will prioritise pedestrians, followed by public transport integration facilities and others, and the least will be for the overnight parking for transport vehicles. The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike will be responsible for implementation of the law in phases.
An apex monitoring committee, headed by the state Chief Secretary, will review the proper implementation and compliance of these rules. The committee will comprise of Additional Chief Secretary, Urban Development and Home Department; Principal Secretaries of the Transport and PWD Department; Commissioner of Directorate of Urban Land Transport; and the Managing Director, Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation.
Mahendra Jain, the Additional Chief Secretary of the Urban Development Department told TNM, “The modalities will be deliberated and decided once the model code of conduct is lifted.”
A base parking fee will also be finalised by this monitoring committee based on the recommendations of the Parking Fee Committee, which will have Zonal Commissioners of all BBMP zones, and representatives of Transport Department, Bengaluru Traffic Police, Bengaluru Development Authority, Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited, Directorate of Urban Land Transport and the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation.
The parking plans will be prepared in a phased manner, with parking plans for all arterial roads, commercial areas and major roads with heavy traffic flows as determined by the Apex Committee. This has to be prepared in Phase-1 within four months, as per the Management and Maintenance of Parking Rules, 2018. Based on learnings from Phase-1, the next phase of expansion of the parking plan shall be determined by the apex committee.
The parking rules will be enforced by the Bangalore Traffic Police, which will be the primary agency for towing away vehicles for all major and minor roads. The Transport Department will tow away vehicles parked in “other” roads.
Sanjeev Dhyamnavar, a sustainable transport expert at Praja-RAAG, said, “Paid parking on streets will bring discipline on the otherwise irregular parking habits in the city. Since this will add to the total cost of owning and using personal vehicles, it will force people to use public transport and hence decrease the number of vehicles on the roads. Fees collected can be used for reducing ticket prices and improving pedestrian facilities.”