The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Apartments put great pressure on roads

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Mar 28, 2007
ePaper

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Apartments put great pressure on roads

Anil Kumar Sastry

BANGALORE: Most apartments have parking facility for residents, they do not generally have designated space for visitors' vehicles. In fact, they prominently display the board: "Visitors' vehicles are not allowed."

So where do visitors park? Invariably on the adjacent road. If the apartment comprises, say, 50 flats, there would be at least 20 visitors at any given time. If all they bring their cars, they would consume at least 150 metres on the road. Not only do they deny space to other road users, they also obstruct neighbours from parking their vehicles.

Today, where every large site say measuring more than 2,400 square feet, is occupied by apartment complexes irrespective of the width of the connecting road, parking has become a nuisance. If there is a 20-apartment building on a 10-foot wide road, say in Nagasandra, visitors' vehicles definitely would inconvenience neighbours.

Bylaw 16 of Bangalore Mahanagara Palike's Building Bylaws 2003 specifically states that 10 per cent of the additional parking space should be provided for visitors' vehicles in addition to stipulated parking space for residents in apartments. This bylaw, the result of pressure from the traffic police, stipulates that the space to park one car should be provided for two dwelling units measuring 50 square metres or less; and one for every dwelling unit measuring 50 square metres to 150 square metres or 100 square metres and thereof beyond 150 square metres.

Marriage halls should provide space to park one car for every 10 square metres of auditorium floor area. However, majority of such marriage halls have converted the parking lot (the basement) into dining halls.

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