Vadodara: On the heels of massive police crackdown on illegal parking in Ahmedabad, the shopping malls and multiplexes in the city have also announced free parking in their premises.
The city police had issued notices to these managements of the malls and multiplexes to provide free parking. The move has cheered up citizens who had to pay anywhere between Rs 10 to Rs 30 for paying their vehicles at the malls.
Police officials said that in reply to their notice, 27 mall and multiplex managements have submitted that they won’t charge parking fees from visitors. “They submitted their replies over last three days and gave an written assurance that they won’t be taking any parking charges. Two malls, Inorbit and Inox, have argued that the case regarding parking charges is in Gujarat high court and the court has given them interim relief and allowed them to collect parking charges,” said Amita Vanani, assistant commissioner of police (traffic).
The Ved Transcube Plaza at ST Depot in Sayajigunj too will be collecting parking charges as the Gujarat State Regional Transport Corporation (GSRTC) has signed a contract with the mall’s owner for collecting parking fees. The police had on July 23 issued notices to all the malls and multiplexes and stated that the GDCR clearly says that they have to keep 50% of the floor space index (FSI) for parking.
Parking lot is a common space and it is illegal to use it for commercial purpose,’ the notice said.
Interestingly, despite collecting parking charges, the malls put up signboards stating that the parking will be at the owner’s risk.
The notice said that parking lot is a common space and it is illegal to use it for commercial purpose
