57% of car owners faced road rage in last 6 months

Bengaluru: Park+ on Wednesday announced key findings from its Bengaluru-centric survey. The survey was answered by 22,000 Bengaluru car owners and was undertaken to understand anxiety triggers for car owners driving on Bengaluru roads. Bengaluru recently surpassed Delhi to claim the title of the top Indian city with the highest number of private cars.

The survey revealed that 57% of car owners in Bengaluru have experienced some sort of road rage in the last 6 months, while 63% struggle to find a legal & safe parking spot for their cars, and 22% expressed anxiety over the deactivation of their Bengaluru-centric survey, FASTag, Bengaluru(considering the current turmoil).

Road rage emerged as the foremost trigger for anxiety amongst Bengaluru car owners. The main causes of road rage are frequent traffic jams, congested roads, inadequate infrastructure, two-wheelers swerving between cars and buses, disregard for traffic laws (i.e., speeding, illegal parking, wrong-side driving), and aggressive driving behaviour such as honking, tailgating, and cutting off other vehicles. These factors contribute to the overall stress and anxiety experienced by car owners while navigating Bengaluru’s roads.

Car parking continues to be a major concern for car owners in Bengaluru, with limited parking spaces leading to frustration and anxiety. Additionally, the lack of proper enforcement of parking rules exacerbates the problem, causing further stress for drivers in the city. Furthermore, the lack of designated legal parking areas in busy commercial areas adds to the chaos and congestion on the roads. This combination of factors contributes to the daily traffic gridlock that plagues Bengaluru, making commuting a nightmare for car owners.

The current flux seen in the FASTag ecosystem- renewed KYC deadline and FASTag deactivations, has led to some confusion amongst car owners.

This added complication only adds to the frustration and stress of car owners, making commuting even more challenging for car owners who cross tolls on a regular basis.

Commenting on the findings, Amit Lakhotia, Founder & CEO, Park+, said, “At Park+ our main business objective is to bring delight back to car ownership. This Bengaluru-centric survey is a step in the same direction to understand the pain points/gaps for car owners and attempt to bridge these gaps for them.”

Commenting on the survey findings, Hitesh Gupta, Co-Founder & CTO, Park+, said, “We at Park+ are actively working on the challenges that car owners face on a daily basis. Our goal is to simplify the car ownership experience and provide app first services like pre-book a parking spot, discover a car dealer near you, FASTag related services, car valet and much more. Additionally, we have launched “Offense Reporter”, an in app offering which allows users to report a traffic offence on the

Park+ app.

With over 5000+ traffic offences reported on our app, we aim to revolutionize road safety through user vigilance”.

Commenting on the findings, Akhilesh Srivastava, Road Safety Ambassador-IRF, IT Advisor ITDA, and President ITS INDA FORUM, said, “The findings from the Park+ Car Ownership Survey 2024 shed light on critical concerns.

The data reveals a pressing need for increased awareness and education on road safety practices to reduce incidents of road rage and enhance overall traffic flow. Collaborative efforts between authorities, car owners, and relevant stakeholders will be essential in addressing these concerns effectively”.