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Parking: A door waiting to be opened

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It’s often a Bangalorean’s worst nightmare on the road – to find a parking spot! It’s sometimes almost unreal and unbelievable when you come across an empty one!

A few years back the Pay-and-Park scheme was into position. The parking ticket mentioned “We are not responsible for Damage, Theft or loss of the vehicle”, which then made us wonder what we were paying for!

After deciphering the whole propaganda a bit more we realised where the contentious issue lay - The Money! BBMP used to auction roads to private contractors who use to then station the parking agents to give out tickets, and hand the cash back to the contractor. I spoke to one of these “agents” and he mentioned that the contractor usually gives two hoots to the number of tickets sold; he requires a minimum of 1500/- per day from each agent. So the agent isn’t too bothered if you take a ticket or not.

The contractor though would make a lot more money than his auctioned amount – some insane amount like 30 crores a year! Compare this to the 30 Lakhs that BBMP was making off it! The BBMP smelt this out or realised that they stood to lose, and hence withdrew the scheme – making parking “free for all.”

Even now there isn’t a single “free parking” road, in central Bangalore at least! The agents now jobless, still collect money. And some even Demand it. As a user I have no problem shelling out 1- 2rs/ hour if there would be someone who would help make place, and help park my bike. Also there is some safety in having this guy around your bike.

Now since there is no “fee” in space, some of these agents demand Rs 5 in advance, and sometimes even 10 rs /hour! Not complying with them would often result in your bike being damaged, out of place or scratched on return! It’s almost like extortion! And of course these agents to have to pay their “haftas.”

I might be making a fuss out something really small here. But you see if this can be regularised, people don’t have a problem paying the fee if they were give some basic service. The revenue collected is quite a large sum and can be so easily used to develop the city. For example parking in MG road and nearby areas alone per year can build a Magic Box Flyover! Or can also provide housing for some 10,000 odd families. It’s mode of revenue which will not be opposed by the users. In fact some will willingly pay!

The option of constructing multi-level parking complexes seems to be forever on paper. Maybe it’s because that many square feet of space in prime locality is worth a lot more commercially.

I hope BBMP re-things the Pay-and-Park facility and enforces more safe, and easy parking for citizens.

 

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shas3n's picture

Parking

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179 users have liked.
Narayan, almost missed this interesting thread! I guess paid parking is indeed a good idea and serves multiple purposes. Apart from using this to make the whole parking experience better, BMP can also use this to dis-disincentivise the use of cars. Parking fee at a few malls in the city is already about 100 Rs per car so it is evident that there is enough 'buying power'. -Shastri

-Shastri

vmenon's picture

the basic assumption questioned..the pay parking trhead

ಮೇಲೆ
146 users have liked.

In many such cases,  for a  change to be brought about by a citizens movement .. we have to assume that fundamentanally that civic bodies/governmnet undertakings are not really taking measures /steps in the interest of the customer ( read citizen) The cuitizen is incidental and a secondary step to the "Making of money" ..for an individual or a group.

Extreme point of view and I do know that every beuraurcrat/politician should not be painted with this brush ..but for a citizen movement it helps to have this sieve when looking at a problem or even more importantly the solution .

The pay parking scheme was probably stopped not because teh BBMP suddenly realised that the contractor was making a lot of money , but rather that the money was not shared equitably ..and i am not talking of shared with the government treasury. 

the solution here is as in many cases is technology and cutting out the middleman. 

Parking meters !!

 

  

 

tsubba's picture

Parking complexes

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163 users have liked.
Parking complexes Deccan Herald, CM Gets Cracking on City's Woes BBMP’s automated vehicle parking complexes at 10 places have been approved by the CM. An estimated 21,000 vehicles can be parked once these projects are implemented. Automated parking complexes: DH News Service, Bangalore BBMP has proposed to construct multi-level parking yards under public private partnership at 10 places. Automated parking at: Gandhinagar, Old Central Jail premises, Gandhi Bazar, SP Cross Road, Russell Market will be exclusively for parking. Parking in front of: Surana College, Yelahanka market place, near RTO in Yelahanka, near Football stadium on Richmond Road, near Ambedkar College in Nagarabavi will be parking with commercial establishments.
narayan82's picture

Parking Complex Locations

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175 users have liked.
I'm glad finally the CM has got cracking. Or maybe I can say "a CM" has got cracking! Unfortunately There seems to be no parking complex in the middle of Mg Road/Brigade road. I was hoping some land could be acquired on Church Street for a multi level parking complex. There seems to be some un-developed land and the PPP model could work. Imagine a Pvt PLayer was asked to build and operate the multi level parking, and in return the BBMP can ban Parking on M G Road - i'm sure its a profitable offer!
Narayan Gopalan
User Interaction Designer
Bangalore

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