Give top priority for parking

Bangaloreans are starved of parking place and this nagging problem seems to have flummoxed the authorities and the planners in the short term. There have been suggestions from some quarters about using playgrounds and civic amenity sites, but these have not been taken forward.

The idea of constructing underground parking slots beneath playgrounds is worth debating. The idea can be conceptualized on the lines of a PPP model. Playgrounds can be conveniently used for this purpose and the revenues generated can be channeled back for the upkeep and maintenance of the playgrounds.

Take for instance the playgrounds at St Joseph's, Bishop Cottons School, Parade Grounds, the Kanteerava stadium and others that can provide substantial parking space.  For this plan to materialize, the government should come out with financial and ground preservation plans. High-rise buildings in large format complexes should provide for multi-storied parking space as well. The shopping centers of these areas will be benefited with better and larger parking slots, even as the density of vehicles in Bangalore shows no signs of abating.

The latest CDP is said to contain new parking features, but what remains to be seen is the urgency to implement them. Will these ideas be put through before chaos strikes or put on the back burner rests on the political will to implement critical projects on priority basis. The outer ring road as it now stands offers room for construction of multi-storied parking slots and open areas on the three trunk roads mainly Whitefield, Sarjapur and Bannerghatta road should be identified and work initiated on public private participation without giving room for delays.