Faced with the perennial problem of chaotic roadside parking in Bengaluru’s heart, the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) is going to expand its "Pay-and-Park" initiative across the city. Led by the Bengaluru Central City Corporation, this program aims at streamlining traffic flow and providing residents and visiting vehicles with standardized parking solutions.
23 Key Roads Under the New Scheme
The Bengaluru Central City Corporation has already been selecting 23 major roads in the CBD to use under this structured parking scheme at present. The corporation has also invited tenders on bid to recruit for appointments who will run these zones and collect parking charges for a period of 3 years.
The major stretches on this list include the following:
- Commercial Street
- Brigade Road
- Church Street
- Museum Road
- Magrath Road
- Cambridge Road
- Sampige Road
- Crescent Road
- Wood Street
- Castle Street
These roads, which are notoriously heavily trafficked and dense with vehicular traffic, are the main focus items for the expansion first phase.
An Urban Reimagining of a Scalable Model
This system is likely to model for other corporations in the city, GBA's chief commissioner, M. Maheshwar Rao, said. Bids for the tenders requested by the Central City Corporation will open soon. The GBA intends to replicate this solution in additional regions of Greater Bengaluru, depending on success and a response from private bidders.
The move is intended to be a two-pronged strategy: to alleviate crippling traffic congestion caused by indiscriminate parking in the city and generate a guaranteed stream of income for the city’s municipal corporations.
Tech-Driven Convenience: Online Slot Booking
This expansion has, however, integrated one of the most innovative features that is, technology. The GBA intends to deploy virtual parking slots that will be tracked in real-time.
To improve citizen convenience, citizens will be able to:
- Availability Check: Real-time parking availability on specific roads.
- Pre-Book Slots: Before reaching their destination, you can reserve a parking slot using a dedicated web portal or mobile app.
- Digital Payments: Encourage cashless payment services to minimize wait time and ensure transparency of fee collection.
In its transition from disorganized roadside parking to a tech-enabled program called “Pay-and-Park,” the GBA aims to reduce the time drivers spend searching for spots, a major driver of the city traffic. With these tender processes on a close schedule, Bengaluru is set to streamline and tidy the CBD more for the people.
