Parking complex at Freedom Park to open to public soon

Bengaluru: The multi-level car parking complex being constructed by Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) near Freedom Park in Gandhinagar has been completed and is about to be made available for public use. BBMP is preparing to inaugurate the complex in the first week of August.

The traffic of vehicles is increasing day by day in the Gandhinagar locality and drivers are struggling to find a parking space. Once the multi-level car parking building is ready for service, those going to Vidhana Soudha, High Court, District Court and City Civil Court, Bengaluru University, Mysore Bank Circle, RBI, Kandaya Bhavan, Chickpet, Palace Road, Cubbon Park can park here and go to their work.

Most of the government offices and colleges are located around the Freedom Park. There is a huge vehicular traffic on this side except on weekends. Especially after the Covid, the number of people using their own vehicles has increased, which is another challenge to the traffic system. Vehicles waiting in serpentine queues at major junctions and circles in the city is a common sight.

BBMP has constructed the building with a grant of Rs 78 crore under the Nagarothanna scheme. The work started in 2017 and was scheduled to have been completed by December 2021. The work was delayed due to two reasons: One is Covid and another is a huge rock that was found at the work site, according to officials.

"This is the fourth multi-storied parking complex built by BBMP. Only the solar panel installation work is pending. There is a lift in the building. A compound wall has been built around it to provide fool-proof security to the vehicles parked in the complex. A separate toilet has been constructed for those who come to stage protests at Freedom Park," said Lokesh, chief engineer of BBMP.

Rainwater harvesting system

The interior of the building is designed to bring in natural light. Arrangements have been­ made to collect rainwater and use it for the maintenance of the building. He said there is a storage tank with a capacity of 1 lakh litres to store rainwater. BBMP is planning to give excess water either to the Fire Emergency Service Department or for public use. BBMP should construct more such complexes in the vacant area, said D R Prakash, founder president of Osborne Road Residents' Welfare Development Association. "Our suggestions have not been implemented by the police. Old vehicles are parked everywhere in the city for four or five years. They should be disposed of," he said.