Bengaluru Motorists Face New Parking Rules: Here’s What’s Changing

In a major move to tackle the growing traffic congestion and unregulated roadside parking in Bengaluru, the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) is set to introduce stricter parking regulations.

The state government has prepared a draft notification for a new parking policy aimed at putting an end to free parking in the city. The proposed policy is expected to bring significant changes to the daily commuting and parking habits of motorists across Bengaluru.

Under the proposed rules, city roads will be divided into three major categories, with parking charges fixed accordingly. The policy will provide for on-street parking, off-street parking at designated parking facilities, and monthly parking passes. The draft proposal also specifies the parking charges applicable to different types of vehicles.

To ease traffic congestion, parking will be completely prohibited in several key locations. No parking will be allowed around Metro stations; bus stops and on arterial roads. Vehicles will also not be permitted to park within 50 metres of traffic signals and within 25 metres of sub-arterial roads.

The proposed policy also provides special provisions for night-time parking. Vehicles will be allowed to park in designated areas between 8 PM and 8 AM. Motorists using off-street parking facilities will also have the option of obtaining monthly parking passes.

As part of efforts to promote public transport and eco-friendly mobility, bicycles and autos parked at designated auto stands will be exempt from parking charges. To address the shortage of parking space in the city, the government is considering using vacant land owned by government agencies and public-sector organizations for parking facilities.

In addition, private landowners who make their vacant plots available for public parking could receive property tax concessions under the proposed scheme. This is expected to help create additional parking spaces across the city.

The proposed policy also seeks to address parking disputes between landlords and tenants. Building owners may be required to provide adequate parking facilities for their tenants’ vehicles. Failure to do so could attract penalties. If a tenant parks a vehicle on the road in front of the house due to the lack of parking space, the responsibility for paying the applicable parking fee could be placed on the property owner.

The new parking policy, once finalized and implemented, is expected to bring stricter regulation of parking across Bengaluru while encouraging the use of public transport and more organized parking facilities.