The Government of Karnataka has released the draft 'Greater Bangalore Parking Rules, 2026' in accordance with Article 314 of the 'Greater Bangalore Management Act, 2024'. The objective of this document is to improve the city's unregulated transport system and optimize parking management. The public and stakeholders have been given 30 days to submit comments and suggestions on this draft, published by the Urban Development Department.
Once the new regulations come into force, it will become impossible to leave vehicles arbitrarily on the main streets and busy intersections of Bangalore. Parking in the main travel lanes within the so-called 'high-density corridors,' defined by the Greater Bangalore Authority (GBA), will be completely prohibited. Furthermore, to prevent traffic congestion, stopping any vehicle within a 100-meter radius of signalized intersections and within a 25-meter radius of unregulated intersections is forbidden.
To increase the use of public transport and ensure pedestrian safety, areas within a 150-meter radius of metro stations, railway stations, and bus terminals are initially declared no-parking zones. In the future, after assessing the supply and demand for parking spaces, this radius may be increased to 500 meters. Auto-rickshaws and taxis can only use designated pick-up and drop-off points, where they are allowed to stay for no more than five minutes.
Parking vehicles on sidewalks along roads is completely banned to avoid obstructing pedestrian movement. Bicycle parking on sidewalks will only be permitted if there remains a clear and unobstructed passage for pedestrians of at least 2 meters. Additionally, auto-rickshaw stands will only be located in quiet local alleys to avoid interfering with general road traffic.
If an owner does not have space for parking on private property and parks a car on the street, they must now obtain an annual residential parking permit from the municipality. Such a permit is issued only to vehicles whose residential buildings comply with building codes. The government has set high annual fees for this permit, which depend on the type of vehicle.
Public parking spaces are divided into three categories—A, B, and C—depending on their commercial significance and types of activity. In Category 'A', the street parking fee is 40 rupees per hour for two-wheelers and 80 rupees per hour for four-wheelers. On Category 'B' streets, the rates are 30 and 60 rupees respectively, and on Category 'C' streets, they are 20 and 40 rupees per hour. To prevent misuse of street parking, tariffs sharply increase if the parking time exceeds two hours. However, using off-street parking involves a significantly lower fee, and a 50 percent discount is provided at night.
Incentives are offered to owners of private and public vacant land to create parking zones on their plots. If an owner develops a multi-level or mechanized parking facility with a capacity of at least 30 vehicles, they will receive a 100% exemption from property tax and service charges. For creating an open-air parking lot with a capacity of at least 15 vehicles, a 50% discount on property tax is provided. Furthermore, such landowners will not need to obtain a separate trade license.
Parking operators have been granted the status of a government official, allowing them to tow or clamp vehicles that violate the rules. Nevertheless, to prevent corruption and disputes, the operator is obliged to maintain clear video footage of the vehicle's license plate before towing it and keep this recording for at least three months. Fines for improper parking are set at 500 rupees for cars and 300 rupees for two-wheelers, while parking on the sidewalk incurs a heavy fine: 1000 rupees for cars and 600 rupees for two-wheelers.
