Smart parking: Roadworks delay implementation of plans

Automated parking has been implemented on only 10 roads in CBD so far

Roads that have been dug up in the Central Business District (CBD) for developmental work are proving to be a hurdle for the ambitious ‘smart parking’ project. The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) had planned to put in place automated parking facilities on at least 30 roads in the CBD by May this year. However, since December 2019, it has been rolled out on only 10 major roads in the area. The civic body has plans to implement the automated parking on as many as 85 roads in the city. Once the system is in place at all locations, there will be 4,000 parking slots for cars and 10,000 slots for two-wheelers. This is an attempt to solve traffic congestion in the city, which is compounded by illegal parking. The ‘smart parking’ project is being implemented through a public-private partnership model, for which the BBMP has entered into a 20-year tender with city-based Central Parking System (CPS). Civic officials said they are expecting to earn ₹31 crore a year by implementing smart parking on 85 roads in the city.