Proposed parking charges a solution or a price on Bengaluru’s traffic problem?

Published - August 14, 2026 10:07 pm IST - Bengaluru

While transport experts argue that parking charges must “discourage” owners from parking their vehicles in congested areas, others argue that levying parking charges without fixing public infrastructure makes citizens pay for a problem that governments helped create. | Photo Credit: SUDHAKARA JAIN

Will the proposed draft parking policy actually ease congestion or just put a price on a problem the city has failed to address for years?

While transport experts argue that parking charges must “discourage” owners from parking their vehicles in congested areas, others argue that levying parking charges without fixing public infrastructure makes citizens pay for a problem that governments helped create.

For professor and convenor of the IISc Sustainable Transportation Lab (IST Lab) Ashish Verma, the biggest mistake would be to approach the policy as a way of meeting the city’s demand for parking. The objective should be to reduce the demand for private vehicles in places that are already congested, he said.

“The idea should not be to assess the demand for parking in different areas and accordingly provide adequate supply for parking,” he said. The solution is to make parking restrictive in the city’s most congested areas- both by reducing available spaces and making parking more expensive, particularly during peak periods, he said, arguing that parking should be used “as a demand management measure”.

While restricting cars immediately raises the question of what happens to the people who currently depend on them, that alternative, Prof. Verma said, has to be built alongside the parking policy rather than after it.

Disincentivise multiple car buyers

Dattaraya Devare, an environmental activist who has been championing paid parking, believes the price itself can influence vehicle ownership and use.

“Residential parking could be pricier, but it can be managed by introducing fee slabs based on the particular period when the car was bought. The move will disincentivise people from owning multiple cars,” he said.

But that argument assumes residents have enough choice to respond to the price. Srikanth Narasimhan, founder and general secretary of the Bengaluru Navanirmana Party (BNP), argues that this is what Bengaluru lacks.

Mr. Narasimhan opposed the proposed parking charges based on the premise that the government needs to first provide citizens with real alternatives and take responsibility for the parking crisis.

“While parking charges are not inherently wrong, charging citizens for parking without alternatives is unfair. What choice does a citizen have when public transport is still inadequate?” he questioned, pointing out to the delayed suburban rail, the limited growth of the BMTC fleet, weak last-mile connectivity, delays in metro projects and poor footpaths.

There is also a question of how the existing residential parking system can be regulated at all.

N.S. Mukunda, founder-member of Bengaluru Praja Vedike, said residents may actually be willing to pay for permits if doing so guarantees them a designated space and eliminates the daily disputes over who can park on a particular stretch of road.

“Many disputes arise over parking spaces on streets, so if the authorities allot designated parking spaces on the road, those who want to avoid such hassles will easily obtain a permit,” he said.

But that immediately creates another problem- where will these spaces come from? Bengaluru has very little vacant land available for large-scale off-street parking, and Mr. Mukunda said this could make the policy extremely difficult to implement.

Leader of the Opposition R. Ashok called the policy as a “new sketch of looting government”, arguing that the proposed GBA parking rules would make residents pay ₹15,000 to ₹25,000 a year to park their cars on the road in front of their homes.

“Rows of potholes, roads that turn into swimming pools when it rains, what moral right does a government that is incapable of fixing them have to collect this parking tax?” he asked.

Published - August 14, 2026 10:07 pm IST

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