Out of the eight malls we visited, our reporters found welcome at four. A fifth mall eventually did allow entry, but only after arguing for half an hour, at which point they likely realised the ‘driver’ was a news reporter.

But what about other malls in the city; are they as welcoming of our cabbies and rickshaw wallahs? Over the weekend, our reporters, Shiva Devnath and Faisal Tandel, posed as taxi and auto drivers and visited several malls to find the answer to this question.

The front-page report gained considerable traction on social media and among auto and taxi drivers in the city, following which, the mall authorities reserved a special parking zone for auto drivers who wish to shop there.

mid-day highlighted the prejudice against auto and taxi drivers a week ago, with a report on the ordeal of a Bandra-based auto driver and his family after they arrived at Phoenix Market City in Kurla in their own auto rickshaw. The family was humiliated by the mall authorities, who refused to let them park their vehicle in the mall premises ( ‘Mall in soup after turning back family that arrived in auto’, October 31 ).

Mumbai’s malls have something for everyone, but not if you’re a rickshaw or taxi driver. Days after mid-day named and shamed a swanky mall in Kurla for refusing entry to an auto driver and his family, our reporters decided to test whether other places were similarly biased. What did we find? Turns out, quite a few malls are coloured by prejudice when it comes to our black-and-yellow drivers.

Our reporter poses as a taxi driver and drives in to SoBo Central, where he is turned away by the security guard. Pic/Datta Kumbhar

After a Kurla mall turned away a family that arrived in its auto, as first reported in mid-day, we conducted a special drive and put other malls to test. Here’s what we found...



After mid-day named and shamed Phoenix Market City in Kurla for turning away an auto driver and his family, the mall authorities reserved three parking spots for autos. Pics/Sayed Sameer Abedi

Cop speak

There is no law or rule that restricts taximen or automen from visiting malls in their vehicles. If a taximan or automan visits the mall with his family and the mall’s guards stop them on security grounds, then they can be allowed inside after ascertaining that the people sitting in the vehicle are his family members or relatives. If they are still not allowed inside, they can approach the police and appropriate action can be taken.



- Milind Bharambe, Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic)

Sobo Central, Haji Ali

Day: Saturday, 1:55 pm

Reporter: Shiva Devnath in taxi

I was stopped at the entrance. I argued with the guard, saying that I own the vehicle and wanted to go shopping in the mall. I asked the guard why he was letting others in but not me, and explained that I was willing to pay the parking fees, but he wouldn’t budge. When we asked him why, he said he was just following orders.

K-Star mall, Chembur

Day: Friday, 4.30 pm, Charges: R35 for 4 hours

Reporter: Faisal Tandel in an auto

We were allowed to enter the mall parking space.

Atria Mall, Worli Poonam Chambers

Day: Saturday, 1.35 pm

Reporter: Shiva Devnath in taxi

The reporter was allowed to enter the mall.

High Street Phoenix, Lower Parel

Day: Saturday, 12.05 pm

Parking: Rs 50

Reporter: Shiva Devnath in taxi

We were allowed to enter the mall along with the taxi.

R-City, IBS Marg, Ghatkopar (W)

Day: Friday, 3.15 pm

Parking: Rs 50

Reporter: Faisal Tandel in an auto

Just as we entered the basement parking, a group of security guards blocked our way. Sunil K, one of the watchmen, said, “I have worked here for six years, and we have never allowed auto rickshaws or any three-wheelers inside.”

Even when we explained that it was our time off and we wanted to shop at the mall, they didn’t allow us in. When we asked for a reason, the security supervisor Shrikant Gawli had no answer except to say that they were merely following orders from their superiors.

Also Read: Now, Kurla mall makes dedicated parking space for autos

We said we were willing to pay the parking charges but after a long argument, the mall’s operations manager, Hardik Sodha, turned up and said, “Even if you pay double, we will not allow you to park here.”

It was only when he saw the photographer clicking pictures that he realised we may be from the media. Suddenly, his behaviour changed. He contacted his boss — mall vice-president Herman Golaria, who told us we could park free of cost. Tired after arguing for half an hour, we just left.

R-City, IBS Marg, Ghatkopar (W)

Day: Friday, 1:20 pm

Parking: Rs 50

Reporter: Faisal Tandel in an auto

As soon as I entered the mall premises, the security guard pointed towards the exit, assuming I had gone to drop a passenger. On asking about parking, he smiled oddly and showed me the way to the parking lot. Security guards were busy checking cars but didn’t bother to check our auto. They behaved brusquely and said, “Chalo timepass mat karo, jaldi Rs 50 do.”

City Centre, Mumbai Central

Day: Saturday, 2:25 pm

Reporter: Shiva Devnath in taxi

Two security guards blocked the path to the parking lot and told me there was no parking for taxis. I told them that if I parked the car outside, it would be towed away by the police, but they were not sympathetic. I argued that when they allow parking for tourist vehicles with yellow registration plates then what was the problem with kaali-peeli taxis? The guard replied saying that the mall used to allow taxi parking earlier, but changed the rules later. But no reason was given for this.

CR 2 mall, Nariman Point

Day: Saturday, 2:57 pm

Reporter: Shiva Devnath in taxi

A security guard stopped me and said that that neither black-and-yellow taxis nor Ola cabs are allowed inside the mall premises. The guard told me I could park my vehicle anywhere but not in the mall’s parking lot.

Mall says

“In Mumbai, no mall allows taxis or auto inside, and this is purely for security reasons, as safety is our top concern,” said H Shah of CR2 Mall.

Voices

Kamlesh Gupta, Taxi driver from Sewri

‘None of the malls have free parking, so it’s common sense that a taxi driver won’t go there to just park his taxi and pay a hefty charge. He will only go there if he wants to shop.’

Manoj Mishra, Taxi driver from Nalasopara

‘If a taximan wants to take his family for a movie and he is denied entry, he faces embarrassment in front of the entire family. It’s like the profession of driving cabs has no respect at all.’

Arun Tiwari, Taxi driver from Sion-Koliwada

‘Few months ago, I went to Phoenix Market City in Kurla but the security guard asked me to leave my taxi outside. I had never taken my family out in my taxi, fearing that we would be insulted.’

Shyam Dubey, Taxi driver from Lalbaug

‘I bought my taxi 10 years back but I have never taken it to a mall because I know they will treat us like garbage. When my family wants to go shopping, we hire another taxi. But I shouldn’t have to do this.’

Mohammed Nadariya, Taxi driver from Mumbai Central

‘I drive my father’s kaali-peeli to support my education. Yes, it is a taxi, but for us it is also our personal car. If mall authorities are worried about security, they can check the vehicle.’

Abdul Majid Shaikh, Auto driver from Kurla

‘We are ill-treated in malls. Other people take their cars to the mall, so why can’t we take our auto when we are off duty? We are human beings too; don’t we have the right to pay and park there?’

Santlal Yadav, Auto driver from Vashi

‘I take my grandchildren to the gaming arcade in the mall. We are forced to park outside but are constantly worried that the traffic police will tow the auto away.’

Ravindra Tupe, Auto driver from Chunabatti

‘We never get the respect we deserve. We pay taxes like any other citizen, but don’t get the same rights. We should be allowed to at least pay and park.’

Voices from auto and taxi unions

AL Quadros, General Secretary Mumbai Taximens Union

‘Very few taximen go to malls as they can not afford to shop there. But if a taximan or automan visits a mall in his own vehicle, he should not be stopped. This is discrimination.’

Shashank Rao, President, Mumbai Auto-Rickshaw Taximen Union

‘If they can allow tourist cars with yellow number plates inside, then why this bias against auto rickshaws? If anything, parking should be free for us – we ferry hundreds of passengers to the malls and bring them profit.’

Milind Bharambe, Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic)

‘There is no law or rule that restricts taximen or automen from visiting malls in their vehicles. If they are not allowed inside, they can approach the police and appropriate action can be taken’

8

Number of city malls that were scouted by our reporters disguised as cabbies and auto drivers