[rohanjf]

At times when I have had to visit some friends living in some apartment complexes, I have been asked to park on the road, because visitors' vehicles are not allowed. Do the managements of these buildings expect that the people who live in there cannot have any visitors, and should live totally isolated from relatives/friends? This rule is fine when there is public parking available nearby, but where in Bangalore do you find such parking?

Recently, I had to go to a commercial building in Whitefield, and there too the security guards told me to park on the road, because visitors' vehicles are not allowed inside. So, it seems like even companies cannot have visitors, but only employees!

Can't the authorities make it mandatory for the builders to create ample parking for visitors inside the campus? Or, do such rules already exist and builders choose to ignore them (the way they ignore fire safety rules)?

[amitoj]

Rohan, it's a miracle if the builders provide parking for the occupants of the building!! For them to provide parking for visitors in stead of using that space for more built-up area will require them to be a little less greedy.

But yes your concern is genuine.

If i am going to some unfamiliar area, i try to find out beforehand where to park.

[callvvijay]

Just experienced this today morning and now - here you are with the same point.
Took my mom for her doc checkup today morning in P.H.Road. As you said, visitor's cars are not allowed in the apartment where he practices.

I had to park the car outside and asked the security if he can notify me if traffic police comes because the last time I visited the doc a month back I saw a number of cars being strapped with the wheel lock by the police. The security plainly said that he cannot come to the clinic and inform you and I will be better off to stay in the car. With all prayers, went to meet the doc and thank God there were no wheel locks and happily drove back to office.

I think its high time the authorities come up with such a rule so as to have the roads free. At least for the buildings that are being constructed, it can be mandated that they should have a specific number of parking lots depending upon the sq.ft. area of the premises.

[ghodlur]

Rohan,

I can understand your dilema. Like in our building complex we have made it cumpulsory for the visitors to park their vehicle outside the building premises simply for the reason that visitors dont park the car at the designated places and have a very flimsy excuse that they would be moving out within minutes. Later it is found that they have obstructed the pathway by wrongly parking and minutes have turned into hours causing inconvinience to residents.

We have made it mandatory for the residents to ask the visiting relatives/friends to inform them of the parking situation before hand itself.

[rjstyles69]

It's a common practice in apartment complexes for not allowing visitors to park their vehicles in the building. I myself stay in one and no visitors vehicles are allowed. They are asked to park on the adjacent road.

What is surprising is that some companies/offices themselves don't have parking space for visitors. Even worse is some of the restaurants don't have a parking. Classic example I can think off is NEW BEL Road, where KFC and McD's don't have parking space for 2/4 wheelers.

[MCR]

Yes. Common thing across Bangalore. I recently purchased an apartment. During the house warming ceremony, one of our relatives got his car inside and had parked it right in the middle of the drive way. One of the residents there created a big hue and cry. I had to literally run to get the car cleared and pacify the new neighbour. We do have a few empty slots for visitor cars in our apartment complex but that day it was already full because of a sizable number of relatives and friends visiting our new home.


Today we had gone to Dominos in EC for lunch. Ironically Dominos donot have a parking. The customers are expected to park near the beginning of the tollway. Today it was an unlucky day for most cars since, they were being towed away by police. The cars targeted were M800, Alto and Santro. These cars are easier to pry open and also easier to lift and to-away. A shinig new Polo which was parked next to these cars was not touched. I think it should be made mandatory for commercial spaces to first create a parking space before they get into business.

[A350XWB]

The apartment where I live, has some 16 visitor parking places distributed across the complex. The place where my brother lives also have sufficient visitor parking. I have noticed that most apartment complexes built by Tier 1 builders has this facility.

[ghodlur]

Even my company does not have parking facilties for visitor's vehicles inspite of being in Powai, Hiranandani complex. Lot of time have been embarrased when I have to tell them in mail in advance about the non parking availibility, but now the regular vendor visitors have got used to it and park their vehicles on the road.

[hemanth.anand]

The realty boom is the main reason for all these.
When the situation is such that the residents themselves have to BUY parking places, Why will the builders forego profit and construct the parking places for visitors also. He'll rather make a studio apartment instead of 4 parking slots for visitors.
A few bucks fed to appropriate persons can change any law.

Atleast the residents should insist on parking places for visitors but we have become so selfish that if we get place for our car we will not care a damn about others even if its our own friends or relatives.

taking the example of Bangalore, if the growth and others would have been gradual, the roads of new areas would've been wider and better. But
Unfortunately its the opposite. The roads of old Bangalore are much wider and good to drive while the new areas accomodate one or more rows of gold dust(read sites).

I really try avoiding visiting my relatives apartments where I'm forced to park my car in improbable places. Unfortunately we will have to live with this hard-to-change things, since every one of us have become a part of this wantedly or otherwise.

The Car that MCR was talking about in EC is mine
We were just standing there and seeing an 800 first and later on a santro Literally being STOLEN by the police.Luckily for us they still haven't learnt the art of stealing Puntos,Polos and the likes.
The guy just removed the beading for the mirror of the front door, opened the door lock with a metal scale, released the handbrake, hooked the car onto the tow vehicle and locked the door and off he went

[selfdrive]

I am sure a lot of heads would be nodding while reading this thread, especially as we all face the same problem across cities.
There has been many an occasion when I have chosen to take my bike instead of car, just due to parking issues. In commercial areas, one has to park further away and then walk or wait in the car (pointless as it only jams up traffic further)
In Pune, there are now some good central parking spaces around, but with the number of vehicles around one usually ends up waiting a bit for a parking space.

EDIT: wow, the cops stealing vehicles! I know this happens a lot with two wheelers, perhaps they have some target like the marketing/ collection agencies

[rohanjf]

Some office space providers actually charge a parking fee from visitors. I have seen a board that displays the parking charges for 2/4 wheelers outside an RMZ building on the right side of SAP Labs in Whitefield. Although this is a daylight robbery, still many builders are not following suite.

But this is not a feasible option for the builders of residential buildings, because they do not have control on the building once the residents' associations take over.

How do these things work out in other countries? I never gave a thought on this.

[DMehta]

I am aware of the fact that this is a really common practice in almost all the new housing societies built.
But, in my society in mumbai andheri, the builder has allocated special parking space for the visitors with a security guard. That too, for free. Its a different thing that almost all the people who park their cars tip the guard.

Apart from this, the builder has also started the construction of a 9 story building specially for cars. It will have a lift to carry the cars up and down. Will post some pictures if someone wants to see it.

[hemanth.anand]

Originally Posted by MCR

I think it should be made mandatory for commercial spaces to first create a parking space before they get into business.

@MCR, Parking spaces are mandatory for commercial places as per law.

2 years back, when my marriage was planned and marriage hall booked, There was a notice put on our marriage hall and 20 other halls in Bangalore that they cannot do business since all of them did not have designated parking places. Only people who had booked earlier were allowed to complete their functions (I was one of them).
The notice stayed for approximately 1 year and all these halls were out of business. Now, after peolpe have been fed appropriately, the business has resumed as usual without any provision made for parking.

The result: Marriage halls charge more to compensate the loss.
Corrupt politicos get their share, Owners of these halls will make up their losses.
Ultimately we will shell out more money.

[amitwlele]

In our complex we do have visitors parking area for about 4 cars and 15-20 bikes. If that place gets full then the visitor has no option but to park outside on the road. As of now no board has been put on our gate stopping visitors from parking (Puneri Paati) but that day is not far.

I totally agree with ghodlur's observation in earlier posts about visitors parking the vehicles in a such a manner that it obstructs the movement of others. I have experienced it once in our complex.

On a side note some shopping establishments charge for Parking but refund that amount if actual shopping has been done. I experienced this in Shoppers Stop Ghatkopar.

I think with space at a premium and no planning done these boards are here to stay. Better to check parking availability before travel and use public transport/bike if possible at such places.

[benbsb29]

There are also cases where designated visitor parking spaces are provided during the design phase of the construction, according to the building plan. However, once the construction is over, and people start moving in, demand for an additional parking space comes from the residents for those owing more than one car, and the space which was marked for visitors gets sold off as additional parking spaces.

IIRC, as per the law an apartment complex is supposed to have provisions for parking for visitors.