Notwithstanding government orders and clarifications over the last two months, commercial complexes in the city continue to charge the visitors for parking provision.
Recently, the Principal Secretary, Municipal Administration and Urban Development, Arvind Kumar, while replying to a complaint on Twitter, clarified that the rules on charging the parking fee applied not only to multiplexes and shopping malls, but also to all commercial establishments and institutional buildings which included standalone cinema theatres and hospitals.
While multiplexes are slowly falling in line following the instructions, many commercial complexes which had been charging the visitors for parking before the orders were issued, continue to do so even now.
“I went to a small eatery in the Taramandal Complex at Saifabad recently, and a person came to me with the parking ticket and charged ₹10, even before I went inside,” shared Mohd. Haneef, a businessman.
Insistence on charges
He argued with the man, informing about the recent GO, but the latter did not budge till the amount was paid. “Further, he told me he had been following all the news about parking, yet the complex maintenance requires that the parking charges be collected,” he said.
The fact that the Taramandal Complex is just a hop, skip and jump from the GHMC head office shows the poor implementation of the rule.
Similar was the status at Topaz Building near Punjagutta, where ₹10 for a two-wheeler, and ₹20 for a car is the norm. While the building has a cellar parking facility, it is restricted to the staff working in various offices of the building, says Satyanarayana, the person manning the parking inside the compound.
“We allow outsiders’ vehicles too for a payment. Monthly fee for parking is ₹250 for a two wheeler, and ₹800 for a car, which can be bargained,” he offers.
While charging outsiders may be debated, those visiting any establishment inside the complex too are not spared.
In March this year, the government has issued orders specifying rules for free parking in multiplexes, malls and commercial establishments, which came into force from April 1.
‘Produce a bill’
As per the rules, parking should be free for the first half an hour, and if it exceeds one hour, free parking may be allowed only upon producing a bill or receipt or movie ticket as the case may be. After an hour of parking, the bill should be for an amount exceeding the parking fee, for the person to avail free parking.
