The BBMP's pay-and-park scheme, an attempt to free up busy roads, also promises to be a veritable cash cow. However, will it do much more than streamline parking spots to those who can afford to pay? Urban expert Ashwin Mahesh talks to Joyeeta Chakravorty about why the scheme should be used to bolster public transport, the only long-term answer to our traffic problem.
Paid parking, the BBMP’s apparent master stroke to alleviate traffic in congestion-prone areas, has been widely lauded. The 'park smart' scheme, which was abolished in 2005, is being re-introduced and implemented across 85 roads in Bengaluru with mobile app to give commuters real-time information on parking availability. A tech-savvy approach, aimed at diminishing the challenge posed by the parking mafia and help rake in revenue for the cash-strapped civic body.
Urban expert Ashwin Mahesh, who agrees that the idea is a good one, also believes it’s not enough to tackle a very large issue. "BBMP's proposal to begin charging people to park on the streets can seem like a long-overdue scheme. But while the principle of charging for public space seems reasonable, we should do more than that. We should set targets for what we hope to achieve by charging parking fees," he remarks.
"One direct result will be revenues to the BBMP. Each of the 85 streets on which parking charges will be introduced should produce several lakhs in income to the municipal corporation each month.” However, will this translate into more direct benefits for the average Bengalurean? "If so, could we bridge the gap between the results we hope to see and the scheme that is being introduced?”
Mahesh, who firmly believes that rigorous enforcement is a pre-requisite for any substantial change, says, “Even today, with proper enforcement of our 'no parking' signs, we could dissuade people from using their private vehicles for many trips, leaving them with no choice but to use public transport or take shorter journeys on foot. I assume that in the areas where on-street parking will be priced, there will be enforcement too (the tender talks about tow trucks are part of the package as well). However, the discipline they hope to bring about needs to have a far wider reach.”
How big a problem is free parking, really? It’s not a problem in itself, Mahesh agrees. “We should be willing to ban parking altogether! Putting a price on parking doesn’t free up road space to more users, it merely allocates it to those who have the capacity to pay. To truly enable a shift to other modes, we have to reduce the availability of parking. That’s what major cities across the world have done. This strategy which involves increasing parking availability and charging for it has not worked in most places.”
Pay-and-park is a cosmetic change, that doesn’t address the magnitude of the problem. The only solution, Mahesh emphasises, is alternatives to private transport. The parking fee fixed by the BBMP is higher on ‘premium’ roads, significantly more expensive than the price of a Namma Metro ticket. “This revenue should be used to boost our public transport system and pedestrian facilities. That way, we'll create a natural link between the costs of using private vehicles and the funds needed to create alternatives to them."
And why must this be limited to commuter-heavy streets, not residential zones or localities? "A cluster of streets together should constitute a zone for parking, and enforcement should be thought about in an integrated way across it. The selection of parking spots should factor in the rights of local residents, perhaps through the introduction of a 'local neighbourhood parking permit scheme' to ensure a balance between those who live locally and those who visit."
’s apparent master stroke to alleviate traffic in congestion-prone areas, has been widely lauded. The 'park smart' scheme, which was abolished in 2005, is being re-introduced and implemented across 85 roads in Bengaluru with mobile app to give commuters real-time information on parking availability. A tech-savvy approach, aimed at diminishing the challenge posed by the parking mafia and help rake in revenue for the cash-strapped civic body.
Urban expert Ashwin Mahesh, who agrees that the idea is a good one, also believes it’s not enough to tackle a very large issue. "BBMP's proposal to begin charging people to park on the streets can seem like a long-overdue scheme. But while the principle of charging for public space seems reasonable, we should do more than that. We should set targets for what we hope to achieve by charging parking fees," he remarks.
"One direct result will be revenues to the BBMP. Each of the 85 streets on which parking charges will be introduced should produce several lakhs in income to the municipal corporation each month.” However, will this translate into more direct benefits for the average Bengalurean? "If so, could we bridge the gap between the results we hope to see and the scheme that is being introduced?”
Mahesh, who firmly believes that rigorous enforcement is a pre-requisite for any substantial change, says, “Even today, with proper enforcement of our 'no parking' signs, we could dissuade people from using their private vehicles for many trips, leaving them with no choice but to use public transport or take shorter journeys on foot. I assume that in the areas where on-street parking will be priced, there will be enforcement too (the tender talks about tow trucks are part of the package as well). However, the discipline they hope to bring about needs to have a far wider reach.”
How big a problem is free parking, really? It’s not a problem in itself, Mahesh agrees. “We should be willing to ban parking altogether! Putting a price on parking doesn’t free up road space to more users, it merely allocates it to those who have the capacity to pay. To truly enable a shift to other modes, we have to reduce the availability of parking. That’s what major cities across the world have done. This strategy which involves increasing parking availability and charging for it has not worked in most places.”
Pay-and-park is a cosmetic change, that doesn’t address the magnitude of the problem. The only solution, Mahesh emphasises, is alternatives to private transport. The parking fee fixed by the BBMP is higher on ‘premium’ roads, significantly more expensive than the price of a Namma Metro ticket. “This revenue should be used to boost our public transport system and pedestrian facilities. That way, we'll create a natural link between the costs of using private vehicles and the funds needed to create alternatives to them."
And why must this be limited to commuter-heavy streets, not residential zones or localities? "A cluster of streets together should constitute a zone for parking, and enforcement should be thought about in an integrated way across it. The selection of parking spots should factor in the rights of local residents, perhaps through the introduction of a 'local neighbourhood parking permit scheme' to ensure a balance between those who live locally and those who visit."
