BBMP eyes pennies from on-street parking

BANGALORE: If you think soaring fuel prices are pinching your pockets, then get ready to cough up parking fees, every time you park vehicles on streets.The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) will soon introduce paid parking system on most of the arterial and sub-arterial roads across the city.The BBMP has prepared a draft parking policy, which would allow the Palike to impose parking fees on all vehicles parked on roads.The policy is now before the state government for approval and the cabinet meeting is expected to discuss the policy on Thursday.Once the parking policy is approved, the BBMP will decide the rates for parking facility which will vary from road to road, and the fee will be collected on hourly basis as done in private parking lots and commercial areas.With this parking system, the BBMP aims to regulate the road side parking in the city, and fill-up its drying coppers.The Centre’s insistence to have a parking policy to avail funds under the Jawaharalal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) is a blessing in disguise for the BBMP.At present the parking system in the city is haphazard and there is no proper system to identify and regulate parking places.The policy will address all these issues and dictate the role of different authorities like BBMP, BDA and Police with regard to parking, said a senior official with the civic body.Further, he said that all major cities in the country have parking policies.But Bangalore, despite having highest number of vehicles has no such policy.The paid parking system will also generate huge revenue for the BBMP.“According to an estimation, the BBMP will earn a revenue of Rs. 300 -350 crore per annum as parking fee.This is a huge amount and it can be used for the development of city’s infrastructure,” the officer maintained.