Parking on six roads will henceforth cost money  

D. Devaraj Urs Road, Ashoka Road, Sayyaji Rao Road, Vinoba Road, Dhanvantri Road, Sri Harsha Road, Town Hall

• Two-wheelers: Initial parking fee for two hours: Rs. 10

• Subsequent hours: Rs. 10 per hour

• Light motor vehicles: Initial two-hour fee: Rs. 30

• Additional each subsequent hour: Rs. 10

Mysore/Mysuru: After repeated failed attempts to introduce a pay-and-park system on the city roads in the past, the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) has again made an attempt to enforce the system on three major roads and Town Hall premises in the city’s Central Business District (CBD) on a trial basis.

A resolution was passed at the Council meeting last evening to this effect and the system will come into force on D. Devaraj Urs Road, Ashoka Road, Sayyaji Road, and the Town Hall premises. The move is expected to at least reduce the worsening parking issues arising from the exponential increase in vehicles.

The Council also subsequently decided to include Vinoba Road, Dhanvantri Road and Sri Harsha Road in the pay-and-park system. The locations were identified as facing significant parking issues, as they are frequented by tourists for shopping purposes.

Another important decision of the Council is to revise rents to the 1,941 properties owned by the MCC that have been occupied by tenants. The Council met under the chairmanship of Mayor Shivakumar in the presence of Deputy Mayor Dr. G. Roopa and MCC Commissioner G. Lakshmikantha Reddy.

As per the Council decision, for two-wheelers, the initial parking fee for two hours has been set at Rs. 10, and subsequently charged at Rs. 10 per hour. Similarly, for light motor vehicles like cars, the initial two-hour fee has been fixed at Rs. 30, with an additional Rs. 10 for each subsequent hour. (see table)

The Council also resolved to invite tenders and select an agency or agencies to operate the pay-and-park system. All these years, the D. Devaraj Urs Road has posed a challenge for shoppers and tourists who struggle to find parking spaces due to constant occupation by vehicles presumably owned by shopkeepers. It had also posed a significant challenge for the Mysuru City Police.

Agency to be finalised

The Mayor said, “The selected roads for implementing the pay-and-park system are bustling commercial areas with high pedestrian and vehicular traffic. There were suggestions from stakeholders to introduce this system to ensure adequate parking space for everyone. The MCC has taken these suggestions and opinions into account.”

Once the system is implemented, it is expected to resolve parking space inconsistencies, as anyone willing to pay the fee will be able to park their vehicles. Commissioner Lakshmikantha Reddy stated that the system will be formally introduced once the agency is finalised.

It may be mentioned here that in the past, though the MCC Council approved the pay-and-park proposal, the scheme failed to take off due to lack of consensus and resistance from a section of the business community.

Additionally, the City Traffic Police attempted to push the proposal forward two years ago by suggesting alternative parking locations for the Devaraj Urs Road businessmen at nearby locations in Devaraja Mohalla so that the Urs Road can be freed for shoppers’ parking. But the move was dropped as it did not receive sufficient support.

Alternative lands to 46 farmers

The Council decided to provide alternative lands to 46 farmers of ‘Yelethota’ whose lands were acquired by the then City Improvement Trust Board (CITB) in 1949 for the development of the city.

The MCC has identified land in Survey Nos. 119, 179 and 180 near Sewage Farm in Vidyaranyapuram and will provide 0.05 gunta land each to 46 betel leaves farmers. The Government Order (Urban Development Department 192ACM2016) was issued on 16.1.2018 but the land allocation was delayed so far.

The CITB in 1949 had acquired lands from betel leaf farmers at Malalawadi, Kasaba Hobli in Mysuru taluk and had given compensation only to land owners. As those who were growing betel leaf by taking the land on contract were in dire straits, the then Government had ordered to provide 5 guntas land.

Pay-and-Park in Mysuru city

Road	Two-wheelers capacity	Four-wheelers capacity
D. Devaraj Urs Road	900	220
Ashoka Road	200	60
Town Hall premises	200	270
Sayyaji Rao Road	500	130
Vinoba Road	800	60
Sri Harsha Road	30	80
Dhanvantri Road	400	30