Bengaluru Traffic Police proposes pay-and-park to tech parks for improving ORR congestion

The proposal comes as part of a wider plan to ease traffic along the busy tech corridor.

To tackle growing traffic congestion along Bengaluru’s Outer Ring Road (ORR), the city’s Traffic Police have asked major tech parks and private companies to consider introducing a pay-and-park system on their premises.

Bengaluru sees nearly 3,000 new vehicles registered every day. (PTI)

Reportedly, the measure could discourage the use of personal vehicles and potentially reduce congestion by up to 30 per cent. The proposal comes as part of a wider plan to ease traffic along the busy tech corridor, as per a report by Deccan Herald (DH).

The government is also looking to collaborate with the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) and other transport agencies to establish shared transport services, such as bus pooling, for IT employees. Bus routes would be designed based on commuting patterns, encouraging employees to shift from private vehicles to shared transport.

The suggestion to introduce parking fees was made during a high-level meeting that included senior government officials, police officers, and industry leaders such as Biocon Chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw and Yulu Co-founder RK Misra.

Bengaluru sees nearly 3,000 new vehicles registered every day. The traffic police noted that most IT employees use private cars, even as single occupants, because companies provide free parking. According to the BTP, introducing parking fees could persuade at least 10% of employees to switch to public transport, which could cut congestion by around 30%.

However, the idea was met with resistance. Mazumdar-Shaw reportedly suggested that a congestion tax would be a more effective solution.

The police also suggested that companies coordinate with transport authorities to improve bus services, including providing bus stops inside tech parks.