Nana Chowk Mall pay and park eating into two lanes of its main road; authorities mum
Shoppers, who do not want to pay and park, stall their cars on the third lane which puts further stress on vehicular traffic. The mall parking authority and security, however, insist the parking space is for all citizens
Shopkeepers and residents of Nana Chowk are upset over the parking space allotted to El Pallazo, a shopping mall, which eats into two lanes of Nana Chowk in Grant Road. Mall security and parking personnel say anyone can pay and park and that it is not restricted to mall goers.
Residents complain about evenings particularly witnessing serpentine queues since past three days while shopkeepers grumble about less footfalls. “The mall should understand that there is not just their shop where the whole of Grant Road will head to. If they block half of the road, where will the other vehicles go?” questioned V Chauhan, who heads a juice centre opposite the shopping mall.
The shopping centre has consumed two lanes of the five-Lane AK Marg in Nana Chowk as its parking space and one lane from Papnas Wadi Lane, a by-lane that cuts through Nana Chowk. But shoppers who do not want to pay and park stall their cars on the third lane which puts further stress on vehicular traffic. The mall parking authority and security, however, insist the parking space is for all the citizens. “It has just been three days since we started it. Everyone can pay and park in the space. It is not only meant for mall goers,” said the valet parking guard of El Palazzo. The apparel company personnel refused to comment on the issue.
Another security person said, “The ones who come to shop complain about no parking space and now people are complaining that there is a parking space on the road.”
The parking space is located opposite D Ward office at Nana Chowk. “We need to check whether the permission is issued or not. And if it is issued, the details of the same will have to be checked,” said Vishwas Mote, Assistant Commissioner of D Ward.
Ramesh Pandey, a Girgaon resident who drove the car owner to the shopping mall had parked the car outside the pay and park boundary. “I come here often but never had I seen such a thing. Now people who cannot pay and park are queuing up their cars on the third lane which adds to the traffic. Why will everyone pay?” said Pandey.
A Nana Chowk resident opposite the parking space said more traffic had been noticed after the move. “One should see vehicular traffic during evenings. Cars form serpentine queues and the road is choca-bloc. And that is being noticed since past two-three days,” said the resident.
Traffic authorities said they will have the issue checked. Amitesh Kumar, joint commissioner of police (traffic), said the department will look into matter and take appropriate action accordingly.