One of the small, but intensely annoying practices that I am increasingly finding is that of security guards in front of large office/commercial buildings, obviously acting on instructions, to “reserve” the parking space in front of the buildings for those who are visiting an office in that building, and to prevent others from parking there.
In fact, Corporation Bank in J P Nagar 3rd Phase (1st Main, along the Mini Forest) also went to the extent of putting up cardboard notices on the chain-link fence saying that the space was for their customers. Saner counsels have prevailed and the notices have been taken down now.
Residents along the Mini Forest in J P Nagar 3rd Phase are particularly galled by the fact that the IT companies who have their offices along 1st Main Road have converted the entire 1-km stretch into de facto free parking for themselves. “It is impossible for any of our friends who visit to find parking during working hours on weekdays,” fumes Mr Shetty. “There seems to be no way of enforcing the common citizen’s right to park in any public space where parking is allowed.” Call-center cabbies jam the road at night, and it’s often an ordeal even to drive past them, as they are parked haphazardly on the road sometimes.
Most of our rules are based on simple consideration for one’s fellow-citizen, and the assumption that others have the same rights that we do. When this construct breaks down, corporates and commercial organizations usurp the roads and deprive common citizens of their rights. Our lack of civic sense seems only to get amplified with the size of the organization that takes advantage of the lack of enforcement of our rules and regulations.
I can add Cornerstone India, Indiranagar to that list of companies (not that real estate companies have a good reputation to begin with) , not only have they occupied the footpath by putting barricades, their ‘security’ expects citizens to get out of way for one of their big shots to park (on the public road).
Sagar hospital on the Swagat main road has converted the footpath into dedicated parking for its customer. One can see clear instruction to have single lane parking on the footpath, with hanging sting. Beyond this one can see the ambulances parked on the footpath with dedicated slots. Cars are parked haphazardly all through from the Bannerghata road till the east end road making the movement of the vehicles a real challenge all through the day. The in-house parking area is on payable basis which goes without saying for the sensible visitors ( read : excluding hospital vehicles). A good example from an ex-elected representative of the former government to make laws for other and practice ones that suits one best.
We need 30 -40 Multi Stories parking lots across the city to remove street parking..
this kind of vision needs educated politicians who are skilled in Civic Planning – out current breed of politicians only do band aid..that too with great diffoculty…