People often take the chance against parking and insist on driving till the doorstep of the Mall/Shop. This happens especially with Cars with Chauffeurs. We need to encourage people to park an designated parking areas and use public transport to move around within the CBD. This can be done in the following way:
- Have a frequent , high capacity, luxury (Volvo) bus running within the CBD. Please refer to the map attached below. These busses can be used to get from anywhere in the CBD to any designated area within it, with a small bit of walking.
- Have designated multi level/grounds/schools/public parks as Parking Areas where the cars are safe, parking is easily available and easy to locate. These parking lots must be located all around the CBD to suit cars coming in from all directions. The same applies to two wheelers.
![](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3003/2583509116_77eb643534.jpg)
- Impose a Congestion Tax Per Car. This tax can vary with the No. of passengers in the car. For E.g 1 passenger (Rs.300) for 4 passengers (Rs.500). Two wheelers too can be imposed a smaller fee. Delivery Vans, Courier Vans, Essential Service Vehicles can be exempted from this tax. Also residents of the Area can be exempted from this tax and instead pay a smaller monthly fee.
- Ban all Autos and Taxis from this area. Hence no Auto Stands, no Taxi Stands etc.
- All parking areas around the CBD can also have Taxi Stands and Auto Stands.
- Route all BMTC busses to go around the CBD.
But before such a scheme is implemented the govt./civic bodies must implement the following:
- Upgrade ALL footpaths and Pedestrian crossings to a very high level of satisfaction.
- Remove all encroachments onto the pedestrian area.
- Remove ALL vendors on the pavement.
- Have regular patrols along the area.
- Have emergency services on stand by within the area.
- Have enough Sky walks and Lollipop men at crossings.
This enforcement can take place between 10:30 AM and 10:30 PM allowing retail outlets and others in the area to stock their supplies.
Some areas can also be a Drop Off Zone only. Where it is in the lines of An Airport. So there would be heavy enforcement against double parking/exceeding the time limit etc.
If this is implemented/worked out and proves to be a solution then we can create multiple CBDs in the city such as Gandhinagar, Koramangala and Jayanagar.
Comments
Light Rail Loop within CBD
CBD "entry point" - park and ride system?
A high frequency shuttle running through the CBD, and linking prime spots with designated parking areas - a very good thought.
Perhaps you can extend this a bit more in this way. Have all designated parking areas on the periphery of the CBD, these could then become the CBD "entry points". Each entry point will server as the toll collection point as well as the park and ride stop.
As you suggest, BMTC buses could drive in deeper to the CBD without requiring an interchange to the shuttle at "entry points". This would encourage some to abandon the car altogether.
I there will be plenty of people willing to pay the congestion surcharge, in turn paying for the shuttle service.
Only problem is - how do you re-route or discourage long distance traffic that wants to drive through the CBD area. You can't force them to take a longer route unless you have better roads to offer. And you can't ask them to pay a surcharge if CBD isn't really their destination. Perhaps this is where the Inner Core Ring Road (ICRR) comes in.
ICRR - Bang on
User Interaction Designer
Bangalore
narayan, nice work again.
Oh, its clear that the CBD
RS - about Maneckshaw Parade ground
User Interaction Designer
Bangalore
Recent Mercer Survey
I read in this month's 'The Hindu', that among Indian cities, or rather for this South Asian region - Bangalore leads in Quality of Life.
We certainly have the potential to become a leading city of the world. We must get our act together - especially as concerned citizens if we are going to achieve it.
Have underground parking
underground parking
User Interaction Designer
Bangalore
Underground car parks
-Shastri