• Parking Policy 2.0 for Bengaluru approved
• Now pay up to Rs. 5,000 annually to park in front of your own house
• There is no such proposal in Mysuru, says MCC Commissioner

Bengaluru/Mysuru: Parking will no longer be free on public roads in Bengaluru as the Urban Development Department has approved the Parking Policy 2.0. This will be implemented once the Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT) and Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) complete the task of preparing the area parking plan by constituting zonal task forces which would take at least six months to one year.

But residents of Mysuru need not worry as Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) Commissioner Gurudatta Hegde said that there was no such proposal here.

Speaking to Star of Mysore this morning, Gurudatta Hegde said that Mysuru does not have the worst situation of parking like in Bengaluru except on D. Devaraj Urs Road, Ashoka Road and in City centre.

Even this would be solved once the multi-level parking in Town Hall premises is completed and put to use, he added.

According to the Government order dated Feb. 2, 2021, approval of the Government is accorded to the Parking Policy 2.0 for Bengaluru. The DULT shall prepare the Area Parking Plans in accordance with the Policy and the BBMP shall implement the Parking Policy 2.0 for Bengaluru as per Area Parking Plans and in accordance with the approved Police.

Though the policy was first prepared in 2012, DULT decided to draft a fresh one as Metro, shared bicycles and bikes and also cab aggregators began operations. As per the new policy, almost all roads in commercial and residential areas will come under ‘Pay and Park’ system. The policy has also laid out guidelines on roads where parking should be completely banned. Parking of vehicle in front of one’s own home will only be allowed after obtaining an annual fee. The Government has fixed Rs. 1,000 per year for small cars, Rs. 3,000 to Rs. 4,000 for medium cars and Rs. 5,000 for Multi-Utility Vehicles (MUVs) and Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs).

Permit system would be introduced in some selected areas on pilot basis and people can purchase parking permits on quarterly or annual payment basis, which could be renewed at the end of the term. The policy states that a permit does not guarantee a parking spot but only authorises the permit holder to park on the road for which the permit is allotted, if space is available.

The Parking Policy also covers shared mobility operators and delivery agents who can pay bulk parking fees. “Such beneficiaries shall be validated by the aggregator and RTO. A database of such beneficiaries should be maintained in the central parking portal,” the policy document reads.

In other measures suggested, the policy contends that the traffic congestion at the centre of Bengaluru is linked to the movement of freight vehicles and the location of major wholesale markets in the city. It suggests shifting a few wholesale markets to the periphery of the city. The policy also lays down guidelines for school transport vehicles, construction vehicles, inter-city vehicles, freight vehicles etc.

The policy was made public in March 2020 and focused on a four-point goal: Making a shift from chaotic parking to organised parking in the city; From free parking to paid parking; Move from government-driven parking supply to market-driven parking supply; and management and ensure strict enforcement of the new policy – a shift from the present “passive and weak” enforcement.