BENGALURU: Pay Rs 30 to park your vehicle on the footpath below Vijayanagar Metro Station. Also, vehicle parking is at owners’ risk. Commuters boarding at Vijayanagar Station were agitated when they were greeted on Thursday with a board erected overnight, announcing the parking rates. More so, because there is no proper parking space.
The board lists out rates for two-wheelers, cars, jeeps, and light and heavy commercial vehicles also. The space defined is below the Metro station, between the pillars. This is opposite the Vijayanagar police station and Vijayanagar market, which has no space for vehicles to move.
“There is no proper parking bay for many years, and we park our vehicles below the station. Now suddenly, there is a board and a man who sits here demands that we pay money. No responsibility is taken of the parked vehicles, and people continue to park on footpaths because of space constraints,” said Mohan L, a regular commuter.
Pedestrians find it difficult to walk here because of vehicles parked on the road. “We are forced to walk on the road because there is no space on the footpath, which is full of vehicles. The newly introduced paid parking is also of no help,” said Asha M, homemaker and pedestrian. The parking contractor told TNIE that people will have to pay, irrespective of where they park. “Since there is limited space, people have to park on the footpath. Parking is always at owners’ risk,”
he said.
Parking on footpaths has irked Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike and police officials alike. They said that parking on footpaths is an offence and action will be taken against BMRCL and the contractor. Vehicles will be towed away to make way for pedestrians.
Paid parking has created chaos on roads and areas surrounding the station. Commuters have started parking their vehicles opposite commercial and residential units, to save their money.