Parking rates may double on Bengaluru’s busiest commercial stretches under draft rules

If the Karnataka government notifies the draft Greater Bengaluru Authority (Parking) Rules, 2026, the fee for parking in commercial hubs such as M.G. Road and Brigade Road will likely increase by more than twofold from the current charges.

The draft rules, published on August 11, mandate city corporations to categorise all stretches into three types. Type A, defined as a commercial road that attracts people from across the city, will have a higher charge structure.

There are several such stretches in Bengaluru, including Kalyan Nagar Main Road, Sampige Road, Lavelle Road, Koramangala Main Road, and Indiranagar’s 80 Feet and 100 Feet roads, among others.

According to the suggested parking fee structure, two-wheelers and cars along such stretches will be charged ₹40 per hour. For off-street parking, two-wheelers will have to pay ₹20 per hour, while four-wheelers will have to pay ₹40 per hour.

In contrast, the current parking fee on several stretches that qualify as Category A is nominal, at ₹15 per hour for two-wheelers and ₹30 for cars. even for off-street parking, the fee will see a 33.3% increase.

The increase will be a financial burden for several office-goers, especially those who have offices in Central Bengaluru. Due to a lack of space and the dominance of commercial establishments, several offices do not have parking spaces, forcing employees to use on-street parking.

Navya R., a resident of north Bengaluru who commutes to central Bengaluru, says that without the mass expansion of public transport, bringing in such a system will be a huge financial burden.

“To create off-street parking, there is a severe dearth of land in central Bengaluru. So, what will commuters do?” she questioned.

A source who was part of the consultant departments for the policy explained that the rationale behind hiking the price is to minimise on-street parking to a greater extent on arterial and sub-arterial roads. “If parking can be limited on such major roads, the result will have a positive impact on commute times. When off-street parking expands and the demand for on-street parking shifts towards the former, it will have a greater impact,” the official opined.

Source: The Hindu