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BENGALURU: Greater Bengaluru Authority’s proposal to collect annual fee from owners of vehicles parked on roads in front of their house has triggered a wave of backlash.
BENGALURU: Greater Bengaluru Authority’s proposal to collect annual fee from owners of vehicles parked on roads in front of their house has triggered a wave of backlash. Citizens slammed the proposal, saying it unfairly penalises vehicle owners for decades of poor urban planning and hinting that tenants may have to bear higher monthly rentals.
The draft notification released on Thursday plans to collect an annual fee of Rs 15,000 for hatchbacks, Rs 20,000 for sedans and Rs 25,000 from SUVs.
The proposal has raised more questions than answers, particularly in older residential neighbourhoods where houses were built long before the rapid rise in vehicle ownership and without adequate parking provisions. “For a majority of those who come to Bengaluru to make a living, a second-hand car is an aspiration. But the govt is hitting us by imposing a parking fee, this is unfair,” a resident said.
Owners of independent residential buildings fear the additional cost will eventually be passed on to tenants, making rents more expensive for families owning cars.
Many residents questioned the rationale behind charging a fee without offering assurance on vehicle safety. A senior GBA official clarified that a parking permit would not guarantee the safety of vehicles parked on public roads.
For older residential buildings, it’s impractical. These homes were built decades ago and owners cannot suddenly create additional parking space. This will directly impact the middle class. Instead of burdening residents with annual parking permit fees, authorities should first act against commercial buildings that have converted basements meant for parking into business spaces.
The regulation is needed because for years people have treated roads and footpaths as free parking spaces. However, it cannot be implemented as a blanket policy across all roads. The government should have introduced reforms at the vehicle registration stage by ensuring buyers have access to parking before purchasing a vehicle.
Residents are already paying road tax and now asking them to pay Rs 15,000 annually to park on their own street, without any guarantee of safety, is unreasonable. Before imposing parking permits, the government must improve public transport connectivity and create adequate parking infrastructure.
This is daylight robbery. If a household owns two cars, it could end up paying nearly Rs 60,000 a year in parking permit fees. The policy must undergo scrutiny.
The introduction of yearly permits has a downside. We can request police to get the parked vehicles removed to facilitate easy movement during peak hours. If they are given a permit, they will not move their vehicles at all.
When mandatory parking on many commercial stretches near residential areas is not being enforced, bringing a host of new regulations makes no sense.
The policy helps deal with parking mafia, wherein commercial establishments like hotels get several slots blocked for their own customers instead of providing parking on their premises.
The first question: Who approved buildings? The policy discourages private vehicles in favour of public transportation. However, when we are being charged for parking or being levied high penalties, we must be provided with good public transport service as an alternative solution.
Source: The Times of India
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