Parking Policy 2.0: Experts call for raising permit fees, improving public transport

With the government setting an eight-month deadline for the implementation of Parking Policy 2.0 to discourage private vehicles, experts and activists say public transport should be improved first.

Ashish Verma, transport engineering professor at the IISc, who is also the convenor of the Sustainable Transportation Lab, said the policy was long overdue and much needed to make Bengaluru liveable.

“The policy is in the right direction as long as it seeks to regulate the demand for parking rather than focussing on supply. Reclaiming road space to encourage sustainable transport is a good step forward,” he said but said the fee for car park permits in residential areas should be realistic.

He noted that the Rs 5,000 annual fee charged for big SUVs works out to be around Rs 13 per day. “This hardly discourages a car owner. People are parking on the streets because the houses they live in were built in violation of the bylaws, which provide for a parking lot in the basement,” he said, adding that the policy should go beyond communicating that the public space is not a parking space.

Srinivas Alavilli, of Janaagraha, said there was an urgent need to support public transport. “The implementation of policy and the strengthening of public transport should go hand in hand. People have already campaigned for increasing the city bus fleet and reducing the fares. The pandemic should not stop us from strengthening public transport,” he said.

He also stressed the need to speed up the suburban train project and integrate different modes of transport. “There is a need for a coordinated approach for successful implementation of the parking policy, which should not wait for the completion of projects. An efficient and reliable public transport system will go a long way in discouraging the use of private vehicles,” he said.

'Focus on CBD first'

Public transport activist Sanjeev Dyamannavar asked the BBMP to take a graded approach by introducing restrictions in the central business district (CBD) first. “Once they succeed in the CBD and commercial areas, they should start regulating the parking space in other parts of the city.

The area-wise planning should consider the realistic challenges at a particular place. Congestion and traffic density studies should be taken up to understand the travel pattern,” he said.

He noted that the government should be ready to fulfil the demand for viable alternative transport. “The implementation of the policy should immediately fill the void it creates by ending free parking. This should be done by considering all road users, including taxis, school buses and auto-rickshaws,” he said.