Malls fleece clients with parking plans

The days when commercial complexes offered free parking to customers at parking lots is long gone. They have been replaced by schemes designed to make the customer pay more.

Customers say that the hourly parking charge is just a means to earn more money for malls. “When we go to see a movie, we reach the mall at least 30 minutes before the show. The movie goes on for about two hours, so we have to pay for three hours of parking which is well above `50,” said Ms Meera K, a college student.

Some malls are following the practice at the Shamshabad airport and offering premium parking spaces. “For parking in front of the mall or in a separate area, we have to shell out more money. But what can we do if parking is not available in the allocated area,” said Mr Sreeraman S., a city resident.

Another frequent complaint is the lack of service. Customers have to drive around the parking lot to find a spot during peak hours, with no one to guide them.

“How can the safety of our vehicles be ensured? The tag that they give us is just a payment slip and no security is promised. If you lose the slip, you have to pay a higher price,” said Major Shiva Kiran (retd), an adviser on urban governance. Malls have stopped the practice of refunding parking tickets if a customer has purchased goods above a certain amount.

“It was a promotional gimmick. Once the mall is crowded, it is stopped. On more than one occasion, I have raised the point that charging a fee for parking is illegal and haven’t had to pay. The problem is that most consumers do not raise objection and pay up silently,” he said.

Shopping centres and malls blame the the management of the building. “We are tenants. We take the building on lease and the parking rates are set by the building owner. None of it goes to our shopping centre,” said Mr Om Prakash, a managerial employee at Lifestyle, Begumpet. “When a shopping mall is constructed, they have to get sanction from the GHMC. The building plan is supposed to have a seperate parking area. Since it is a prerequisite before construction, charging for parking is illegal,” said Ms Anita Jain, a lawyer.