Over 800 objections have been received against the Greater Bengaluru Authority’s (GBA) draft Parking Rules, prompting the government to send the policy to a legal research firm for a review from an academic perspective, according to government sources.

M. Maheshwar Rao, Chief Commissioner, GBA, said that the policy would be scrutinised again, with the objections and suggestions also being sent to the firm. He stressed that the policy has also received a positive response from citizens.

Other government sources revealed that the major objections are related to paid parking and parking permit charges. When the draft policy was published, even Forest Minister Ramalinga Reddy wrote to the Chief Minister seeking a comprehensive review of the proposed parking permit charges, which now range from an annual cost of ₹15,000 to ₹25,000.

Meanwhile, civic groups pointed out that the policy is more focused on revenue generation and is upper-middle-class-orientated, rather than striking a balance between traffic management, maintaining parking discipline and generating revenue. They, however, support several rules, such as expanding parking infrastructure and imposing restrictions.

Changes expected

Sajjan Raj Mehta, trade activist, who has also submitted objections, said that the Urban Development Department should constitute a Parking Advisory Committee comprising civic groups, resident welfare associations and trade associations, as including these stakeholders would make the policy scientific.

“The government’s primary objective should be mobility management and public welfare, not merely the monetisation of every available portion of public road space. He stated that the parking policy should aim to reduce congestion, improve pedestrian safety, and encourage public transport, rather than simply enforcing fees,” he said.

Dattatraya Devare, a civic activist who welcomed the policy, said that such rules are long-delayed, while also stressing that there may be a need to review the pricing.

“While the policy was needed, it doesn’t consider all sections of society, which include families who dream of owning a single car or even cab drivers. So, the government may consider introducing slabs with a lesser annual fee for single-car owners and a higher price for multiple-car owners,” he said.

The Forest Minister’s letter highlighted this loophole, as it stressed that many middle-class residents in older layouts and smaller houses lacked internal parking facilities and that the policy would cause burden on them.

Another major issue flagged by the groups is the entire management of residential parking being given to private players, which could create scope for citizen harassment without stricter management rules being imposed on them.

Implementation hurdles

On the contrary, N.S. Mukunda of Bengaluru Praja Vedike explained that many residents would readily take the parking permits while also acknowledging that they are not attractive to all sections of society.

“The policy offers a car owner official permission for a space for parking, which would eliminate the small fights that occur in a neighbourhood over parking space. So, people would readily avoid such fights through having an official space,” he explained.

However, he pointed out that the implementation would reduce road space by one-third, creating congestion points, especially in smaller neighbourhoods. He also stated that changes were required to make the policy not a mere revenue-generating avenue but address the traffic management issue.

Amid these problematic rules, the policy imposes restrictions on parking at bus bays, shifting of autorickshaw stands, creation of off-street parking and digital data on parking spots in the city, among others.