Haphazard parking on Brigade road poses problems

BENGALURU: Brigade Road is one of Bengaluru’s prestigious, high streets. Every day thousands of people come to MG Road, Brigade Road and Church Street, but now, people are facing parking problems on Brigade Road.

Brigade Road is a major shopping spot for Bengalureans. Thousands of people come here for shopping every day. However, the customers who come here cannot find parking for their vehicles.

Until recently, there was paid parking, but for the last three months, parking has been made free. Due to this, shop owners on Brigade Road, including those on Church Street, and people who work around Brigade Road are parking their vehicles on Brigade Road. Consequently, shoppers coming to Brigade Road cannot find parking. This has led to severe traffic jams.

“Because parking is still being done right in front of the shops, people are not getting parking, so they are turning away from the shops on Brigade Road. Employees who are parking their vehicles from morning till night and shop owners also park their vehicles. Hence, the business of the 145 shops on Brigade Road has dropped by 70 per cent as customers are not getting space to park. The vehicle owners are frustrated with the haphazard parking on Brigade road. The free parking system has badly affected the shops and customers as well”, says Suhel Yusuf, secretary of the Brigade Road Shop Association.

Previously the Brigade Road Shop Association maintained parking and also charged a fee. But now parking is free and is not being properly managed, which is the cause of this problem. The GBA should pay attention to this matter, Yusuf noted.