BENGALURU: Shock and disbelief greeted the new parking charges put out by the parking contractor at the Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna railway station on Monday which fixed per day parking charge in the station at Rs 232.
In the South Western Railway Zone, only KSR station has been handed over to the Indian Railway Stations Development Corporation (IRSDC), a Special Purpose Vehicle to redevelop important stations across the country. Responding to the outrage, CEO & Managing Director of IRSDC Sanjeev Kumar Lohia told The New Indian Express the fares would be brought down immediately.This is the second time within a fortnight that parking rates have been hiked at the station.
The shocker in the new parking rate is Rs 232 for 24 hours and Rs 500 for loss of parking ticket. M N Ashok, a commuter, uploaded a snapshot of the rates on twitter and tagged the Railway Ministry, PMO, Railway Minister and Minister of State for Railways. “Sir, pls verify this! Before it was max Rs 70 for one day. Suddenly, they raised parking fee (Bengaluru-Mysuru-Bengaluru fare Rs 120/ but parking fee Rs 232). Middle class people, what to do?” A Bengaluru-based doctor, Sudarshan Sanjeev, blamed the “parking mafia” by Railways and BBMP.
Karnataka Rail Users, an influential group, stated with sarcasm, “Rs 232 per day (24 hrs) at KSR railway station. What a way to serve common people.”
It was on January 25 that TNIE highlighted that parking rates have been hiked at KSR for two-wheelers from Rs 10 to Rs 12 for two hours and from Rs 50 to Rs 80 for 24 hours. For cars, the rates were Rs 25 (up from Rs 20) for two hours and Rs 400 (up from Rs 300) for 24 hours. Every additional hour beyond minimum for two-wheelers was Rs 10 and for cars Rs 20.
It now appears that the parking contractor has calculated 24-hour rates at minimum of Rs 12 for first two hours, then Rs 152 for the next 14 hours, and then added Rs 80 in addition to it and made it Rs 232 for 24 hours!
Lohia told TNIE, “We will rationalise and bring down the rates with immediate effect. However, as per the new Parking Policy, charges should be according to the cost of the land. The idea is to discourage long hours of parking at railway stations.”