According to data accessed by The Hindu, the eight‑month total is the largest for the period in any of the past ten years, underscoring a sharp rise in enforcement activity.
The BTP’s records also show a steady climb in wrong‑parking cases over recent years: 7.26 lakh in 2021, 10 lakh each in 2022 and 2023, 9.73 lakh in 2024 and a record 11.16 lakh for the full year of 2025.
Footpath parking violations have surged as well, with a record 1.16 lakh cases logged up to the end of August 2026, surpassing the 90,000‑case ceiling that no city has exceeded in the first eight months of the past five years.
Bengaluru’s authorities have introduced measures such as towing, paid parking zones and dedicated enforcement beats, yet senior officers acknowledge that these steps have produced little change on the ground.
A senior traffic police officer attributed the limited effect to the city’s low penalty – a ₹500 fine for a first‑time wrong‑parking offence – which is roughly half the amount levied in many other Indian metros. He suggested raising the fine to at least ₹1,000 and introducing graduated penalties for repeat offenders.
The officer also pointed to recurring concession offers, noting that many motorists are allowed to defer payment by promising to settle fines later at a concession window, a practice he said undermines deterrence.
Greater Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda has echoed the criticism, writing to the Transport Minister to urge an increase in penalties for footpath parking and other haphazard parking violations.
Officials warn that despite the enforcement surge, illegal parking remains a major contributor to micro‑level congestion, which in turn hampers traffic flow on the city’s arterial roads.