Bengaluru’s smart parking system will exempt Jayanagar residents from parking fees for vehicles parked outside their homes, while charges will apply on selected commercial roads between 9am and 10pm, Bengaluru South City Corporation commissioner KN Ramesh said on Friday.
The system is expected to be implemented soon in the south Bengaluru locality as the corporation seeks to ease traffic congestion and improve the availability of designated parking spaces. Ramesh said the programme would be limited to key commercial roads and would not cover residential stretches.
The clarification followed concerns raised by representatives of the Jayanagar Traders’ Association over the proposed parking policy. The traders requested lower parking fees and free parking for the first 30 minutes. Ramesh said the corporation would examine the practical implications of these demands before taking a decision.
Under the proposed system, select roads in Jayanagar will use CCTV surveillance, mobile-based information on real-time parking availability and variable message signboards. The technology is intended to help motorists identify designated parking spaces and reduce unauthorised parking, representatives of Park Lens, the agency involved in the project, said.
The distinction between residential and commercial roads will determine where parking charges apply. Residents parking vehicles in front of their homes will not be required to pay, according to the commissioner’s statement. Motorists using selected commercial roads during the notified operating hours, however, will be subject to the corporation’s parking charges.
The system is being introduced in one of Bengaluru’s established residential and commercial neighbourhoods, where local streets serve both residents and businesses. Its implementation will therefore involve managing competing demands for kerb space, including access to homes, customer parking and movement along commercial roads.
The corporation has not yet announced the final parking fee structure, the exact roads to be covered or the implementation date in the information available. A decision on the traders’ requests for reduced fees and an initial free parking period is also pending. Further details are expected before the system is rolled out.
