You may no longer be able to park your vehicle without paying a fee for it. But you can be assured of more parking spaces — that is, if a policy aimed at implementing such a plan, which is already on the anvil, is formulated and given a nod. This is expected to reduce vehicular traffic by up to 30% when it’s implemented.
The BBMP, along with the directorate of urban land transport (DULT), is framing a parking policy that would not only make parking fee mandatory, but also make parking spaces, exclusively meant for restaurants and commercial buildings, available to motorists.
BBMP sources told DNA that the policy is examining idle hours of parking spaces meant for restaurants (mornings and late afternoons) and commercial buildings (late evenings) to be made available for motorists to achieve optimal utilisation of parking spaces.
This is also expected to reduce traffic congestion on roads, mainly contributed to by motorists looking for parking.
The projected growth of the population indicates that Bangalore would have a whopping 88 lakh inhabitants by 2015. Accordingly, the number of vehicles would also shoot up from the present 42 lakh.
Different parking fee structures would be set for different parking spaces, and the fees would be higher during peak hours and on weekends.
The policy aims at levying parking fees based on the value of land earmarked for parking, space available, and duration of parking.
The fee would be increased with each hour of parking time, and would be structured to discourage motorists from driving vehicles and make them embrace public transport instead.
Parking fee on vacant sites, which would also be opened for parking and off-road parking (on side lanes and streets), would be lesser than the fee charged for on-road parking. Signboards would direct motorists to the parking space closest to their destinations. At least 10% of the parking space would be earmarked for cycles, 25% percent for cars, and 65% for two-wheelers.
The policy provides for land-owners to lease their land on contract basis to develop parking lots, but it would also allow withdrawal or cancellation of the contract if the owner decides to construct a building.
The policy also envisages hefty fines for on-road parking violations and the money collected would be deposited in a city transport fund. The money would be used to develop public transport infrastructure.
Plans, based on the policy formulation, are also afoot to prevent trucks from parking on highways and roads, and separate spaces would be provided to construct truck terminals. Besides, heavy vehicles would be banned from parking on roads in the central business district.
Separate parking places on the basis of public-private-partnership model will be developed for parking spaces for private buses. CCTVs would be installed across the city to look for parking violations and make enforcement stringent.
The policy also looks at constructing autorickshaw stands to enable commuters to take this mode of transport if they so desire.
