A decade after it was scrapped on popular demand, BBMP is reintroducing paid parking in the Central Business District (CBD) from October.

From October-end, you will have to set aside a hefty sum in your monthly budget if you commute by your vehicle to the Central Business District for work everyday.

A decade after it was scrapped on popular demand, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is reintroducing paid parking in the Central Business District (CBD) from October – that too the smart way. You cannot pay by cash but only through plastic currency or through a mobile app that is being developed for the purpose.

Also for the first time, a differential rate card is being introduced classifying a total of 85 roads into zone A, B and C. Parking fee for a car per hour in zone A is Rs. 30 and Rs. 15 for a motorcycle.

Decision to reintroduce paid parking was taken in 2013, but is yet to be implemented. BBMP has floated tenders for parking management of 56 of the identified 85 roads in the first phase. The tender is open till September 8 and BBMP plans to implement paid parking by October-end. This is following the earlier tender for the same project in December 2014 that failed to attract technically qualified bidders.

Finding qualified bidders is a challenge as the parking system now being envisaged is an integrated cashless automated ‘smart’ parking system, according to BBMP sources.

Each stretch of road with parking options will have a ticket-vending machine manned by an individual. This will also be used to pay for the parking through either a smart card, which would be provided by BBMP, or credit/debit card or through a mobile app to be developed for the purpose. Each stretch will be equipped with CCTV cameras that will be centrally monitored at the BBMP control room or the Traffic Management Centre (TMC).

V. Manjula, Commissioner, Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT), said that they were looking for a technical firm that would be able to manage parking solutions and not the run-of-the-mill contractors. DULT has worked on the action plan for paid parking in the city.