BJP attacks proposed parking charges in Bengaluru; claims Karnataka govt is bankrupt (Lead)
Bengaluru, Aug 14 (IANS) Senior BJP leader and Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, R. Ashoka on Friday has strongly opposed the state government’s proposal to introduce charges and fine for parking cars on roads in front of residential properties, alleging that the move would further burden Bengaluru residents with additional taxes.
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, R. Ashoka accused the state government of being financially bankrupt and alleged that it was resorting to imposing “taxes on taxes” due to a shortage of funds.
Ashoka alleged that five of the seven corporations in Bengaluru had already become financially bankrupt and were struggling to function.
R. Ashoka said the government had earlier imposed charges relating to garbage collection, electricity, milk and houses, and was now planning to impose charges on vehicles parked in front of people’s homes.
Further, taking to social media platform X, R. Ashoka alleged that the Karnataka government was preparing to introduce a new parking policy that would impose an annual charge of Rs 15,000 to Rs 25,000 on residents for parking their cars on the road in front of their homes.
“Fine even for parking a car in front of your own house! A new sketch by the loot government,” Ashoka claimed.
He alleged that under the proposed Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) Parking Rules 2026, residents could be required to pay the annual charge for parking vehicles on the road in front of their houses.
Ashoka accused Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda of working on the proposed policy.
“Are you going to tax people even for parking their vehicles in front of their homes?” Ashoka asked, alleging that residents had already paid lakhs of rupees in taxes to construct their houses.
Ashoka also questioned the government’s justification for imposing parking charges when Bengaluru’s roads continued to suffer from potholes and waterlogging during the monsoon.
He alleged that the government had failed to repair roads properly and questioned its “moral right” to collect parking charges from residents.
Instead of increasing parking charges, Ashoka urged the government to improve public transport infrastructure.
He called for faster completion of pending metro works and an increase in the number of Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) buses before imposing additional charges on motorists.
Ashoka demanded that the government immediately withdraw what he termed an “anti-people parking loot policy.”
He warned that if the government went ahead with the proposal, Bengaluru voters would “teach the Congress a lesson” in the upcoming GBA elections.
The allegations come amid the Karnataka government’s efforts to frame new parking and traffic management rules for Bengaluru under the GBA.
–IANS
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