Thoughts on Parking Issue

 A small note prior to reading: I am new to Praja and have not read threads related to this subject. Also this posting is done with the help of someone as I am not good in computers and internet. I came to know about meeting with Praveen Sood. Hence my inputs are here for the meeting. All the best !

Parking facilities is a major problem in Bangalore which is the prime contributor to the present traffic congestions. Some practical solutions are suggested to solve the problem. 

1. Ban the parking of vehicles on roadsides and on footpaths. It is a common sight everywhere in city, particularly near most of commercial buildings, IT establishments, malls, hotels, big apartments etc. The nearby roads are utilized for parking of vehicles. This results in reduction of effective width of roads by about 40%.
2. Autos and other vehicles should not be allowed to be parked on bus stops to pick up passengers.
3. BMTC has constructed huge TTMC multistoried commercial complexes in the guise of traffic management. People question the motto of such huge spendings for the sake of depots. The existing depots should enough to handle situations. TTMC is going to end up with creating more vehicular traffic in nearby places and roads. Again from this context parking issue becomes more crucial in and around all such buildings. (Koramangala TTMC is one such example).
4. Without bothering about the major problems like road blockage, parking lots ,I have heard  the BDA is planning to allow/construct another huge 20 huge malls. Are authorities planning to decongest city or otherwise?
5. The BDA or BBMP have never planned for providing parking lots wherever needed in a growing city. I believe they have never gone through RTO vehicle growth historical stats and projections. Even today they are not serious about the matters. One example is auction of vacant sites in Koramangala 6^th block (Source: CityPlus) on Canara Bank Road opposite Anand Sweets. It seems BDA has auctions site measuring total of 4500 sqft for 8 crores. BDA authorities are only interested to “generating funds” at the cost of public and city. The lung space reduction and lack of parking lots in Koramangala are totally ignored, and auction went on. Is it the way BDA/BBMP should act? They could have developed a nice parking lot rather with pay-and-park model. This should have generated revenue in long term rather than short term benefits, meanwhile helping parking problem.
6. The govt. must ensure to provide parking facility everwhere in city. Auctioning of remaining vacant sites should be immediately banned and parking facility should be developed with good scientific planning and using latest technology to accommodate maximum vehicles with highest safety.
7. Parking of vehicles on footpath must not allowed and legally be fined. As we know if footpaths are people friendly, many will happily walk for short distances instead of using vehicle, again reduction of vehicle traffic, which is good.
8. On most of ‘one way’s vehicles are parked on one side, thus reducing the width by 40%. Such roads should be made two way again but for light vehicles only. This will reduce traffic in nearby main roads and reduction of traveltimes for both main road and light vehicle commuters.
9. All major multistoried buildings , apartments, commercial and IT buildings, malls should be surveyed/resurveyed for parking spaces available. Parking around such buildings should be banned with increased fine. Use of public transport should be encouraged to compensate increased fine. Why should public suffer on the account of big businesses?
10. Identify the narrow stretches and bottlenecks. Improve them or make scientific diversion plans for such roads.
11.  Regulate traffic by using IT enabled TMC more efficiently and installing more VMS systems. Instead of posting more (than required) police on signals, post them for parking compliance management. Many of traffic jams created due to wrong parking of a vehicle.
12. Identify most congested road and declare them as no parking zone and if possible make them vehicle free zone (like some roads near Gandhinagar areas)
13. Consult with experts to ensure foolproof traffic management and parking systems. Make certain body accountable to it. However govt, BBMP, BMTC etc must fully co-operate with police and extend all required help to make parking compliance a success.

Car parking and general parking is a crucial aspect of traffic management which has direct bearing on major problem of road congestion in Bangalore and elsewhere. Planning of parking spaces should be part building better infrastructure. Parking compliance should be given more importance in traffic management. Even police  personnel , police station dump yards etc must be ramped up to accommodate more rigorous parking compliance handling. Needless to say all these things need ‘political will’ at top and ‘will to do’ at bottom layers.

Hope authorities will look into this at the earliest.

As I am not online user of praja, you may reach me via mobile if you discuss anything regarding this. My contact number is in my profile.

-C M Bhat, Jakkasandra, Koramangala