Own vacant land in Bengaluru? New parking proposal offers 100% tax waiver

What the draft proposes

According to the draft, landowners who convert their vacant sites into parking facilities would be eligible for tax relief: a 100 per cent property tax and service charge exemption for those setting up MLCP or mechanised parking, and a 50 per cent exemption for those offering regular surface parking.

Parking tariffs will be structured based on factors like road classification and location, with rates designed to keep public transport more economical than private vehicle use. Monthly passes will also be introduced for regular users of public off-street parking facilities.

The rules propose banning on-street parking on high-traffic arterial roads, introducing peak-hour restrictions on major roads, prohibiting parking near designated multi-level car parking facilities to boost their usage, and charging higher tariffs for vehicles occupying road space for longer durations.

How the policy will be enforced

Police and municipal corporation authorities within GBA limits will be empowered to enforce the new rules, including taking action against building owners who fail to provide legally mandated parking or misuse designated parking spaces for other purposes.

The government has also proposed publishing periodic revenue statements for transparency, with funds collected to be used for traffic and junction improvements, and road and footpath repairs, according to the draft.

Why parking is a problem in Bengaluru

The average vehicle speed on Bengaluru’s major roads during peak hours is around 15 km/h, while public buses move at roughly 10 km/h, the GBA noted. The issue was discussed at a meeting on March 19, chaired by the then-deputy chief minister and current CM D K Shivakumar, along with all elected representatives from Bengaluru, where it was unanimously agreed that parking needed to be formally regulated.

The proposed rules build on the Bengaluru Parking Policy approved by the state government on February 2, 2021. Officials noted that earlier attempts to roll out a Smart Parking Management System, through tenders floated by the erstwhile Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike in September and December 2022, received a poor response partly because no specific parking-management rules existed at the time to support implementation.

The government has invited suggestions and objections from the public and stakeholders until September 10, via email at acsuddoffice@gmail.com or in writing to the additional chief secretary, urban development department, at Vikasa Soudha.