Vehicles of metro commuters parked on both sides of the road near the Sampige Road metro station.
Credit: DH Photos/Himadyuthi Deshpande
Bengaluru: Despite Namma Metro’s growing popularity and reach, regular passengers often struggle with a major inconvenience — the lack of sufficient parking space for their vehicles at their source stations.
At most metro stations, parking facilities are either minimal or inadequate to meet the heavy demand.
During a visit to several busy stations, DH observed the pressing need for reliable parking options. Commuters believe these facilities are crucial as they rely on the metro as their primary mode of transit.
The parking spaces in stations like JP Nagar, Jayanagar and Indiranagar are not proportionate to the number of commuters who travel from these stations. Passengers are forced to park on the roads not only because of inadequate space in the parking areas but also to avoid the daily expense of the parking fee.
“Paying Rs 30 every day is not economical for many. So, I’d rather park in areas with no surveillance than pay so much money,” says Jagadish, a daily commuter who parks his vehicle near the Jayanagar metro station.
Commuters increasingly park on surrounding streets, obstructing residential gates and annoying residents, who frequently complain to the authorities. Some residents in Indiranagar have even turned to the police, hoping for a change, yet no long-term solution has emerged.
Metro stations located near popular shopping malls witness a significant influx of vehicles from shoppers alone.
For example, the Konanakunte metro station, situated next to the Forum South mall, can accommodate around 700 two-wheelers when vehicles are parked in tight proximity.
Shoppers prefer this lot over the mall’s due to its lower fees.
“Parking in the metro parking space instead of that of the mall is more convenient and cheap,” says Sunny, who often visits the mall. This added demand from mall-goers further strains the already limited parking resources available for daily metro commuters.
Stations like Nagasandra and Baiyappanahalli face a different problem. Although these stations have a large parking capacity, the muddy and uneven ground worsens the situation, particularly during rains. When the ground turns slippery, two-wheelers often topple over, and extracting cars from the mud becomes a challenging group effort. This poor infrastructure has led parking lot managers to incur additional costs due to vehicle damages.
In stations like Cubbon Park and MG Road, there is no dedicated parking at all, forcing commuters to leave their vehicles in unauthorised, unsupervised spots. Without surveillance, these vehicles are vulnerable to theft and damage.
Some metro stations, like Majestic and KSR Bengaluru, face fewer parking challenges due to restrictions on night-halt parking and proximity to bus and railway facilities that have 24-hour parking.
However, other stations like Vijayanagar and Chickpet are again constrained by limited space and high demand. The cramped conditions in these lots not only lead to potential damages but also create a chaotic experience for commuters and parking attendants alike.
Parking attendants at the Vijayanagar station say that there have been instances of battery theft, as many people park their vehicles outside the metro parking premises overnight.
Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) says the aim of improving public transport is to discourage private transport.
M Maheshwar Rao, Managing Director, BMRCL, points out that the idea of the metro, like any public transport system, is to encourage pedestrianisation and discourage the use of personal vehicles. Improving public transport should ideally reduce reliance on bikes and cars, he says, as there will never be “enough” parking space.
However, given the current challenges, the BMRCL is planning to introduce a new parking policy, considering feedback from various stakeholders. “We will explore options like incentivising neighbours to offer parking or determining how best to expand facilities. We will see what works out,” Rao told DH.
Rao believes that the ideal solution lies in improving last-mile connectivity, which is being prioritised alongside parking improvements.
LS Tejasvi Surya, the Bangalore South MP, adds that the mindset of driving to a metro station should be discouraged. While addressing last-mile connectivity issues, expanding parking would only encourage more private vehicles, defeating the goal of reducing traffic congestion.