The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is set to bring in private agencies to manage parking fee collection on 14 key roads in the city's core areas, reported Deccan Herald. While some of these roads in the East Zone already have a pay-and-park system, others currently offer free parking. The civic body hopes this initiative will generate an estimated ₹7 crore in annual revenue.
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According to the report, the move comes after the BBMP faced criticism for its recent decision to directly appoint individuals to oversee paid parking facilities. Higher authorities flagged the zonal office for not following the standard tendering process, prompting the corporation to float fresh tenders.
The report also said that the selected agency will charge ₹15 per hour for two-wheelers and ₹30 per hour for cars. These rates are noticeably higher than those at Namma Metro parking lots, where two-wheelers are charged ₹15 for the first four hours and a capped fee for the entire day. Car parking fees at metro stations are set at double the two-wheeler rates.
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{{/usCountry}}BBMP had initially introduced the paid parking system in August 2020, but it encountered significant challenges. The agency previously managing parking on 81 roads was expected to pay ₹31 crore to the civic body but defaulted on payments, citing operational difficulties. Even when overseeing just 11 roads, BBMP could collect only ₹28 lakh over a span of three years.
Despite failing to meet its financial commitments, the private agency had been overcharging users, imposing hefty penalties of ₹500 for exceeding parking time instead of simply billing for the extra duration.
Under the new arrangement, private operators will take over parking fee collection on the following roads
Brigade Road
Museum Road to MG Road
Lavelle Road to Kasturba Road
MG Road
Kamaraj Road
Wood Street to Castle Street
Magrath Road to Hosmat Hospital
Langford Road
Dickenson Road
Crescent Road to Rest House Road
Church Street
Dispensary Road
This restructuring aims to bring more transparency and efficiency to Bengaluru’s paid parking system while ensuring the BBMP gets its due revenue.