To tackle Bengaluru's severe traffic congestion problem, the GBA and traffic police are reintroducing the towing system. Along with this, a 'Pay and Park' system is being implemented on the city's major roads.
Bengaluru: The ever-increasing number of vehicles has become a huge challenge for the city's traffic system. Traffic jams, illegal parking, and the trend of improperly parking vehicles on the roadside are growing into major problems for Bengaluru. As a result, smooth traffic flow is completely disrupted in many parts of the city, causing severe daily hardship for the public. Illegal parking is increasing traffic congestion on major roads, junctions, and commercial areas. When vehicles suddenly break down or are parked in no-parking zones, it severely obstructs the movement of other vehicles. This situation is also a major headache for traffic police in managing vehicle flow.
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Towing system by GBA and Bengaluru Traffic Police
Against this backdrop, the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) and the Bengaluru Traffic Police are set to reintroduce the towing system to find a permanent solution to the city's traffic problem. The main objective of this measure is to smoothen traffic by immediately removing illegally parked vehicles and those obstructing traffic.
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Bengaluru ranked in the top 2 globally
Bengaluru's traffic congestion problem is no longer just a national issue; it has gained international attention. According to the 2025 Traffic Index report released by the Netherlands-based 'TomTom,' Bengaluru ranks as the 2nd most congested city in the world. The report states that Bengaluru's average traffic congestion has risen to 74.4% in 2025, up from 72.7% in 2024, an alarming increase of 1.7% in just one year.
Taking this situation seriously, the GBA has decided to provide the necessary towing vehicles to the traffic police department. Officials believe the towing system is essential to quickly manage situations like vehicles parked in no-parking zones or breaking down in high-traffic areas, causing obstructions.
Two towing vehicles each from five city corporation zones
In the initial phase, it has been decided to purchase two towing vehicles for each of the five city corporation zones and provide them to the respective traffic police stations. In this regard, GBA Chief Commissioner Maheshwar Rao has given clear directions to officials to purchase the towing vehicles quickly.
Furthermore, in a meeting on various issues, all city corporation officials have been instructed to coordinate with the traffic police to identify specific locations in each zone for parking the towing vehicles. This is expected to make the towing operations smooth and effective.
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Pay and Park implemented!
All city corporations under the Greater Bengaluru Authority are set to implement a two-pronged parking system, including 'Pay and Park' and towing, which will be launched soon. On-street paid parking will be available on wide roads where possible, while off-street paid parking will be set up in government offices, government hospital grounds, and other designated empty spaces. Additionally, it has been decided to implement towing and impose fines for haphazard parking. All five corporations have called for tenders, which will be finalized in a week or two. The system is likely to be implemented in many areas from the second week of February.
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How much for which vehicle? How much per hour?
Parking spots will be marked on the side of the road. Parking will only be allowed in these designated spots. The hourly rate will be ₹15 for bikes and ₹30 for cars. For a full day, it will be ₹75 for bikes and ₹150 for cars. The corporations are also planning to introduce a monthly pass system for parking. Tenders have been called in two packages. The first package includes a total of 23 roads, including Commercial Street, Cambridge Road, Food Street, Castle Street, Magrath Road, Church Street, Museum Road, Crescent Road, and Sampige Road. The second package includes 13 roads, including 80 Feet Road and Brigade Road, for a total of 35 identified roads.
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GBA calls for tenders
The West City Corporation has invited tenders and will collect parking fees on Sampige Road, and 11th, 15th, and 18th Cross Roads. A fee of ₹2.20 crore has been set for agencies wishing to obtain an annual license. Implementing parking on Sampige Road in Malleshwaram, a hotspot for shoppers, is essential. Officials say this will also help prevent traffic jams here. The North Corporation called for tenders a week ago, aiming to collect ₹1.6 crore annually. The GBA has decided to address traffic congestion on the Hebbal Airport Road, a traffic hub. Subsequently, a space has been identified for off-street paid parking. In the South City Corporation, tenders for paid parking are initially being called for the Jayanagar area. The East City Corporation had called for tenders for paid parking on 6 roads, but due to a lack of bidders, it is now planning to re-tender.
