Karnataka High Court Directs BBMP To Implement 2020 'Parking Policy 2.0' To Streamline On-Street Parking

The Karnataka High Court has directed the authorities to implement the Parking Policy 2.0. A single judge bench of Justice Suraj Govindaraj said “Though Parking Policy 2.0 is stated to have come into force in December 2020, the Area Parking Plan, parking charges framework, the streamlining of on-street parking, initiation of a pilot permit system etc., has not been carried out by the BBMP. The inaction on part of BBMP and/or Directorate of Urban Land Transport in doing the needful has resulted in inconvenience to the general public as can be seen in the present matter and inconvenience is being caused to the petitioners.” The direction was given while partly allowing a petition filed by Nagabhushan Reddy N and another who are residents of HSR Layout, Bangalore, alleging illegal commercial parking on a plot of land in a residential area. It is for this reason that certain of the empty site owners have come up with a novel idea of permitting two wheelers and four wheelers' owners to park in their empty sites by collecting parking charges.” The court said that though there may be a requirement for parking and though to some extent the plot of respondent No.4 would help in the parking requirements, the said methodology of allowing parking in a residential plot by collecting parking fees is not recognized under law i.e., to say it is not permitted as a business to be run. Respondent No.4 cannot use his empty plot for business purposes by allowing third parties to park in the said plot by collecting parking fees.