Bengaluru’s new parking plan: Pay up to Rs 25,000 a year for your SUV

“Residential parking on streets other than arterial and sub-arterial roads may be allowed only for owners of those vehicles issued with a residential parking permit,” the draft stated.

“The city corporation may collect a residential parking permit fee from those residents using public roads for residential parking. The permit fee shall not be less than Rs 15,000 per year for small cars (hatchback), Rs 20,000 per year for sedan cars and Rs 25,000 per year for Sports Utility Vehicles,” the draft rules state.

The proposed rules seek to expand parking capacity by allowing vacant private plots to be used as parking spaces, while also mandating a monitoring system overseen by bureaucrats.

According to the proposed rules, parking on the main carriageways of arterial roads identified as high-density corridors by the Greater Bengaluru Authority will be prohibited. Parking may also be restricted on select arterial roads during peak hours, as notified by the traffic police.

The draft rules state that all public parking, except residential parking, will be chargeable wherever parking is permitted, with rates to be specified under the rules or notified by the Chief Commissioner.

“On roads identified as collector roads by the city corporation, residential parking may be permitted provided a minimum space of 6 m is available for circulation of traffic and a minimum of 1.8 m of clear walking space is available as footpath on both sides of the road, even after a vehicle is parked,” say the proposed rules.

“On local roads, a minimum space of 4 m shall be available for circulation of traffic and a minimum of 1.8m of clear walking space shall be available as footpath at least on one side, after a vehicle is parked,” it states.

The parking permits will be issued only for vehicles of residents who live in buildings that have not violated minimum parking rules in the building bye-laws.

“Any permits issued to a resident shall be valid for not more than one year and may be renewed every year by the city corporation after verifying that the beneficiary continues to reside in the area. A residential parking permit issued to an individual shall be valid for parking their vehicle on roads designated for residential parking that are within a walkable distance from the location of their residence…,” the draft rules state.

The city corporation will put in place a system to verify the validity of parking permits for vehicles parked in residential areas and report violations to the police.

For non-residential parking, the draft rules propose a minimum fee of Rs 20 per hour for two-wheelers in non-commercial areas and a maximum base rate of Rs 80 per hour for cars in highly commercial areas.

“As on-street parking is limited and to ensure that on-street parking is available to many users for short-duration needs, parking on- street for a duration greater than two hours shall be discouraged by exponentially increasing parking rates beyond two hours of usage, especially when other off-street parking options are available in the vicinity,” the rules state.