Submit Parking Policy 2.0 blueprint by June: Karnataka High Court to BBMP chief

Bengaluru: The High Court of Karnataka has directed the BBMP chief commissioner to submit a detailed project report on the methodology for implementing the Parking Policy 2.0 by June 20.

Justice Suraj Govindaraj issued the order directing the civic body and the traffic police to consider the petitioners' concerns of inconvenience caused by the commercial parking space in a residential area.

The petitioners, N Ashwathnarayana Reddy and his brother N Nagabhushana Reddy, are residents of 17th Main in HSR Layout. They contend that the owner of a vacant site in the layout has rented it out for parking two-wheelers and four-wheelers. The petitioners allege that this commercial use of parking has resulted in noise and air pollution, as well as increased vehicle traffic on a residential road.

They further stated that people parking vehicles at all times of the day and night cause immense inconvenience, arguing that no specific provision is available under the building by-laws or zoning regulations allowing a residential plot to be used for commercial parking purposes by letting out the property to a third party.

The owner of the vacant site, one Nagendra, claimed that using the site for parking is only temporary. But the traffic police stated that they are concerned only with regulating traffic on roads, and parking in a residential plot would not fall within their purview.

On the other hand, the BBMP submitted that the Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT) formulated Parking Policy 2.0 in December 2020 to address the parking needs in Bengaluru. It was mentioned that the Area Parking Plan is currently being prepared, and the framework for parking charges is being finalised.

It was also mentioned that off-street parking has been included in the parking policy, especially for high-usage areas like commercial zones.

Justice Govindaraj said that the BBMP should have taken action if the property was used for commercial parking purposes. As for the traffic police, the court said they cannot abdicate the responsibility, saying they are concerned only with regulating traffic on the road.

“Though Parking Policy 2.0 is stated to have come into force in December 2020, the Area Parking Plan, parking charges framework, streamlining of on-street parking, initiation of a pilot permit system, etc, has not been carried out by the BBMP,” the court said.

“The inaction on the part of the BBMP and/or Directorate of the Urban Land Transport in doing the needful has resulted in inconvenience to the general public as can be seen in the present matter, and inconvenience is being caused to the petitioners,” the court added, directing municipal authorities to place a compliance report by June 20.