Bengaluru Draft Parking Policy Sparks Debate on Road Charges and Transit Gaps

A proposed draft parking policy aimed at tackling vehicle congestion in Bengaluru has sparked a wide-ranging debate among transport experts, civic groups, and political leaders over parking fees, space constraints, and inadequate public infrastructure.

Transport experts have argued that parking charges should serve as a tool to discourage private vehicle use in heavily congested areas. Ashish Verma, professor and convenor of the IISc Sustainable Transportation Lab, stated that the policy should focus on demand management rather than trying to supply adequate parking across the city. Prof. Verma noted that the solution lies in making parking restrictive in congested areas by reducing available spaces and raising prices during peak hours, while developing public transport alternatives concurrently.

Environmental activist Dattaraya Devare supported the implementation of paid parking, suggesting that residential parking could be priced using fee slabs based on when a vehicle was purchased to disincentivise people from owning multiple cars.

However, civic representatives raised concerns about the fairness of imposing parking charges without first improving the city's transport infrastructure. Srikanth Narasimhan, founder and general secretary of the Bengaluru Navanirmana Party, argued that charging citizens for parking is unfair when alternatives remain inadequate, citing delays in suburban rail, limited growth of the BMTC fleet, delays in metro projects, weak last-mile connectivity, and poor footpaths.

Questions have also emerged over the regulation of residential parking. N.S. Mukunda, a founder-member of Bengaluru Praja Vedike, said residents might be willing to pay for permits if authorities allot designated road spaces to eliminate street disputes, though he noted that the limited availability of vacant land for off-street parking could make the policy difficult to implement.

Political opposition has also mounted against the proposal. Leader of the Opposition R. Ashok criticised the draft rules, stating that the proposed Greater Bengaluru Authority framework would require residents to pay between ₹15,000 and ₹25,000 annually to park cars outside their homes while basic road infrastructure remains in disrepair.