<p>In a first, Bengaluru’s roads will be classified into commercial and residential streets to bring in a new parking regime which seeks to end the era of free parking in the city that has led to vehicular congestion.</p>.<p>In its approval order dated February 2, the state government has told the Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT) to prepare area-level parking plans. The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is given the mandate of implementing it.</p>.<p>The policy is a shadow of its former version with rules diluted. For example, the draft policy of March 2020 sought a full ban on roads less than 9 metres wide and where allowed, a permit that costs up to Rs 50,000 was suggested. The approved policy limits the ban to places around multi-level parking lots and reduces the permit cost to a maximum of Rs 5,000. </p>.<p>Depending on the area, the price of the on-street parking will be at least 1.5 to 3 times higher than off-street parking (in multi-level parking lots).</p>.<p>DULT commissioner V Manjula, however, noted that the initiative itself is a major step forward in changing the mindset of the public with regard to the use of the public property for parking that has been taken for granted for decades. </p>.<p>The first step, she said, was preparing the area-level parking management plans which involve assessing the parking demand and the available inventory. This involves classifying on-street parking into commercial (with more than 30% non-residential establishments) and residential.</p>
<p>In a first, Bengaluru’s roads will be classified into commercial and residential streets to bring in a new parking regime which seeks to end the era of free parking in the city that has led to vehicular congestion.</p>.<p>In its approval order dated February 2, the state government has told the Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT) to prepare area-level parking plans. The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is given the mandate of implementing it.</p>.<p>The policy is a shadow of its former version with rules diluted. For example, the draft policy of March 2020 sought a full ban on roads less than 9 metres wide and where allowed, a permit that costs up to Rs 50,000 was suggested. The approved policy limits the ban to places around multi-level parking lots and reduces the permit cost to a maximum of Rs 5,000. </p>.<p>Depending on the area, the price of the on-street parking will be at least 1.5 to 3 times higher than off-street parking (in multi-level parking lots).</p>.<p>DULT commissioner V Manjula, however, noted that the initiative itself is a major step forward in changing the mindset of the public with regard to the use of the public property for parking that has been taken for granted for decades. </p>.<p>The first step, she said, was preparing the area-level parking management plans which involve assessing the parking demand and the available inventory. This involves classifying on-street parking into commercial (with more than 30% non-residential establishments) and residential.</p>
