Karnataka minister Ramalinga Reddy has written to CM DK Shivakumar saying that the proposed hefty annual parking fees would be a financial burden on the middle class. (File Photos)Karnataka Forest and Ecology Minister Ramalinga Reddy, a Bengaluru MLA, has written to Chief Minister D K Shivakumar to reconsider a proposal to impose hefty annual parking fees of Rs 15,000 to Rs 25,000 on citizens who park their cars on public roads outside their homes.The BTM Layout MLA’s letter, dated August 24, came in the wake of the Greater Bengaluru Authority notifying a draft of the Greater Bengaluru Authority (Parking) Rules, 2026, on August 11, giving residents one month to file their objections.The proposed paid parking permit system for residences in the city prescribes payments ranging from Rs 15,000 a year for small cars to Rs 25,000 for SUVs. The proposal has created a furore in resident welfare groups and among citizens.“It is true that the number of vehicles in the city is increasing and the traffic problem caused by roadside parking needs to be controlled. However, in this context, it is also very important to consider the financial situation of the common citizen,” Reddy has stated.Also Read | Bengaluru’s new parking plan: Pay up to Rs 25,000 a year for your SUV“The middle class and common families are already facing financial stress due to the rising prices of daily essentials, cooking gas, petrol, diesel, GST, tolls and other expenses as a result of the failed policies of the BJP-led central government. In such a situation, the imposition of an additional annual parking fee of Rs 15,000 to Rs 25,000 for owning a vehicle is likely to be another financial burden,” Reddy said in his letter.Requesting Shivakumar to reconsider the parking fee, he added, “It is necessary to control illegal and long-term roadside parking, which I welcome. Also, exemption may be considered for ordinary families who use vehicles regularly and do not have parking facilities within their building.”Reddy urged the chief minister to “consult Bengaluru MLAs, resident welfare associations, and key stakeholders to arrive at a balanced, practical solution that includes necessary exemptions for local residents.”Story continues below this adWhat is the proposed parking fee system?According to the proposed parking permit system for Bengaluru residences, the city corporation may collect a residential parking permit fee from residents using public roads for residential parking.The draft rules prescribe annual charges of Rs 15,000 for hatchbacks, Rs 20,000 for sedans, and Rs 25,000 for SUVs. They aim to introduce a new paid parking system across residential and commercial areas with the creation of new parking facilities on vacant private plots, and a monitoring and oversight system by bureaucrats.According to the proposed rules, “No public parking shall be free of charge, except for bicycle parking and for auto rickshaws parked in autorickshaw stands.”Also Read | Why the move to change a 1975 law for protection of parks in Bengaluru has sparked a controversy?“Residential parking on streets other than arterial and sub-arterial roads may be allowed only for owners of those vehicles issued with a residential parking permit,” the rules state, adding that the permit will only be issued for vehicles of residents who live in buildings that have not violated minimum parking rules in the building bye-laws.Story continues below this ad“Any permits issued to a resident shall be valid for not more than one year and may be renewed every year by the city corporation after verifying that the beneficiary continues to reside in the area. A residential parking permit issued to an individual shall be valid for parking their vehicle on roads designated for residential parking that are within a walkable distance from the location of their residence…,” as per the proposed rules.The city corporation will have a system to verify the permit validity and notify violations to the jurisdictional police, the rules state.The parking fee for non-residential parking has been proposed at the minimum rate of Rs 20 per hour for two-wheelers in non-commercial areas and a maximum base rate of Rs 80 per hour for cars in highly commercial areas.