The price of parking space

Organised System

With the government contemplating the proposal to re-introduce paid parking in certain parts of the City, Bangaloreans might have to shell out money every time they choose to use their own transport. As the City gears up for this possible move, Metrolife interacts with a cross-section of citizens to take note of what they feel about the issue.

Roshan Arun NS, a professional, says, “Paid parking is a good option since motorists will not randomly park anywhere and everywhere. People will think twice before taking their cars out. It is likely that more Bangaloreans will be encouraged to use public transport. Plus, it will also increase revenue, which is much needed.” However, he says that it is necessary to implement it in a proper manner. “It should be through a computerised system so that things are transparent. Rather than having a person around, international standards should be adopted,” he opines.

According to Shreyas SG, a professional, this will bring some order on the roads. “This will reduce the haphazard way in which vehicles are parked right now. At least it will bring in some kind of order. However, execution is the key here. Much depends on the way things are planned,” he says. He adds that if it is done manually, it will also generate employment. But Shreyas has his own doubts as to whether this will actually get citizens to use public transport. “Bangaloreans love their own means of transport. I doubt whether they will be able to make the transition from using their own vehicles to using the public transport. However, when the Metro services are fully operational and frequent buses will be available from the Metro stations, things will change,” he explains.
On the other hand, Prerana Das, who has just completed her engineering, is sceptical about how well the system will work. “There’s no definite yes or no answer as to whether it will work since there are a lot of issues involved. One of the advantages that I see is that congestion will decrease. There will also be a decrease in those vehicles which are parked randomly on the roads,” she says.

According to MN Sreehari, advisor to the Government of Karnataka on traffic, transport and infrastructure, this system will really help. “When so much money is being spent on constructing a road, it makes sense to have a parking fee. However, I don’t think this should be done on all roads. Particular roads should be identified for the same. I am suggesting that the authorities  identify certain areas, which can be turned into multi-level parking facilities. I think this is a feasible and problem-solving option,” he says. BBMP commissioner M Laxmi Narayan, says that the proposal is being examined. “We are in talks with the authorities concerned. We have asked them for their opinions. We will be going ahead with it in a phased manner,” he says, adding that it will first be implemented in the Central Business District (CBD) where vehicles are maximum.