Bengaluru civic bodies plan off-street parking as on-street enforcement set to tighten

Bengaluru’s civic corporations are now planning to explore off-street parking as paid on-street parking and strict no-parking enforcement are set to increase demand for space in public places. The civic bodies plan to use space beneath flyovers as part of a pilot project.

If everything goes as planned, the corporations are also likely to onboard private landowners to set up paid parking facilities on private properties under a public-private partnership (PPP) model.

Meanwhile, the Bengaluru Traffic Police (BTP) has proposed multi-level car parking (MLCP) facilities, a plan that is also gaining momentum.

Off the street

According to civic body officials, these measures aim to curb illegal off-street and parking in residential areas following the implementation of paid on-street parking. BTP data shows that Bengaluru has 1,194 no-parking stretches, leaving motorists with very limited parking options.

“Once paid parking is implemented and no-parking rules are strictly enforced, commuters will resort to illegal parking on bylanes due to the lack of space. While such parking can be curbed through towing, it is essential to ensure adequate parking space for vehicles, which makes off-street parking necessary,” said a senior official from the North Corporation.

A senior traffic police officer also pointed out that with the city adding 2,000 to 2,500 vehicles every month, there is very little space on the streets to accommodate parking slots. “This will push vehicles onto footpaths, affecting pedestrian infrastructure and putting pedestrian safety at risk,” he said.

In addition, illegal parking on bylanes creates smaller bottlenecks, leading to micro-level congestion.

“During peak hours, when connecting roads are choked, we cannot deploy officers to bylanes, as it would affect the main stretches. At the same time, if these smaller bottlenecks are not cleared, they will also impact traffic flow on the main roads,” the officer explained.

Multi-level parking

Police officers said that off-road parking, multi-level parking (MLP), and other parking facilities are no longer optional, but necessary, as available space will shrink significantly once on-street parking is strictly enforced. Although existing MLP facilities are currently underutilised, officials believe they will fill up once towing resumes.

“MLPs are underused because illegal parking is rampant, which will be curbed through towing. Once that happens, all MLPs will see increased usage,” the officer said.

The parking policy drafted by the Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT) states: “As road space is limited, it is critical to shift on-street parking activities to off-street facilities, particularly in high-use areas such as commercial zones, transit hubs, and locations with demand for park-and-ride.”

The policy recommends that off-street parking should be priced lower than on-street parking.

Beneath flyovers

North City Corporation Commissioner Pommala Sunil Kumar confirmed that the corporation is looking for vacant or unused government land to develop parking facilities.

“There is scope to convert space beneath flyovers into parking facilities, which is currently being explored. However, there are issues related to entry and exit under flyovers, and these will be examined first,” he said.

Officials from other corporations also said that off-road paid parking facilities are in the pipeline, though the current focus remains on tendering on-street parking.