The Hindu 19.08.2010
Pay and park proposed on Devaraj Urs Road
Shankar Bennur
| The road has bays for parking nearly 200 cars |
Respite soon:The system, proposed only for four-wheelers, may be introduced by Dasara.
MYSORE: Scrambling to get “premium” parking space on D. Devaraj Urs Road, the city's shopping hub, will soon be a thing of the past as an e-based automated pay and park system has been proposed.
The system, proposed only for four-wheelers, may be introduced by Dasara. The Mysore City Corporation (MCC) has reportedly invited tenders from competent agencies for launching the system on build, own, operate and transfer (BOOT) basis.
Recommendation
The move to install electronic parking meters on the lines of those on Brigade Road and Commercial Street in Bangalore comes in the wake of a recommendation made by the Mysore traffic police in view of serious parking problem in the area.
The police made the recommendation to the corporation to overcome the problem of “dawn to dusk” parking of cars on the road by shopkeepers, and to ensure parking space for tourists and shoppers. The road has bays for parking nearly 200 cars, but about 100 cars purportedly belonging to shop owners and those running businesses in the locality are always parked there during business hours.
Under the new parking system, car owners are supposed to collect a receipt on payment of the parking fee.
If the parking duration exceeds the allotted time, car owners will have to extend it by paying an additional fee. Parking attendants will guide car owners in using the meters.
Sources in the traffic police told The Hindu that the system would be restricted for cars.
No financial burden
“There will be no financial burden on the MCC (in introducing the system) as it will be introduced on BOOT basis. Also, approval of the MCC Council is not essential for introducing it. Nevertheless, the final decision rests with the corporation. Police and MCC authorities will monitor the system,” the sources said.
The sources claimed that the system would benefit commercial and business establishments on the road as more shoppers and tourists would visit them if they were assured of space to park cars.
Also, there would be no scope for harassment or fleecing of vehicle owners by parking attendants as the system would be electronically operated, they said.
Tough job
The police are finding it tough to streamline traffic on the road, especially in the evenings when it is difficult to find parking space for cars.
“With the introduction of the pay and park system, parking space for cars will be ensured as there is a plan to limit the parking time for two or three hours daily for each car,” they said. The pay and park system was proposed on this road even in the past, but it was not introduced.
With the rise in the number of vehicles and also in the number of tourists, introduction of the system has become inevitable, according to the police.
When contacted, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime and Traffic) Rajendra Prasad confirmed that his department had recommended to the corporation on introducing pay and park system on the road to address the parking woes.
“The corporation has to take note of our proposal and take a decision,” he added.
