Daylight robbery: Parking operators fleece motorists in Bengaluru

Bengaluru: Despite the Kempegowda Maharaja complex, a multi-storied structure situated along KG Road in Gandhinagar, being built on land owned by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), the civic body has remained tight-lipped about parking operators who are overcharging unsuspecting motorists.

These operators charge Rs 50 per hour for two-wheelers, but the complex neither displays the rate nor provides receipts. Parking for cars costs Rs 100. The agreement between the parking operator and the BBMP is also shrouded in mystery, as local civic engineers claim to have no knowledge of it.

Marilingegowda Malipatil, who was charged Rs 50 for parking his two-wheeler for less than an hour, was surprised that the operator neither informed him of the charges in advance nor offered a receipt.

He said, “Most people who park in the complex mistakenly believe it’s private property. However, it is situated on the BBMP land, but no one is regulating the parking operator.”

Interestingly, the BBMP is unwilling to share any information, even when queries are made under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. They reject RTI applications, citing an ongoing investigation by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) into the joint venture.

The BBMP holds 83 per cent rights over the property, which was developed by a private builder. Three floors, designated for parking, belong to the BBMP, while the rest of the floors were reportedly handed over to the builder for property development.

Local BBMP engineers, including in-charge executive engineer (Gandhinagar) Revanna and executive engineer (Road Infrastructure Division) Devaraj, appear to be unaware of the agreement.

A senior official mentioned that the BBMP’s portion of the complex has been leased to the builder, but he lacked further information about the agreements. In the absence of regulation, the parking operator has been taking advantage and overcharging motorists without any fear of repercussions.

‘Situation no different in Jayanagar’

The situation is no different at the Jayanagar Shopping Complex which is owned by the BBMP but has its parking area operated by private firms. Vijayaraghava Marate an office-bearer of Karnataka Rashtra Samiti (KRS) stated that the parking operator has continued to charge Rs 20 per hour for two-wheelers even after a police complaint was filed. He also pointed out that the civic body is not ensuring that the operator displays the parking fee at the complex.