For decades now, there has been no considered parking reform for the city. It is in private malls that personal modes of transport are dis-incentivised.

All said and done, parking in the city continues to be a pain. Either there is no space available, or the ‘premium’ charges in private-public zones are exorbitant. Several thousands of customers who visit theatres and shops in the Chennai’s malls have found that they have to cough up very high parking charges, especially during weekends and other holidays. Besides, parking on the road, though rampant, is not safe and reduces the carriage way.

The root of the problem arises from the absence of proper parking reform for the metropolis’ roads in several decades. The Corporation’s long-promised multi-level parking solutions have not come up, barring the odd project, and the occupation by private establishments of public space — including footpaths and the spaces under flyovers — for parking have led to the current situation.

The State-fixed parking fee has been static for years now. City planners have long been advocating a parking fee revision, even commensurate to the real estate value of the areas where parking spaces are located, to dis-incentivise personal modes of transport and encourage walking and cycling.

Oddly enough, the only place where personal modes of transport seem to have been dis-incentivised are the private malls.

‘Information suppressed’

Vinodhkumar, an employee of an online portal who frequently visits shopping malls in Velachery, finds it hard to accept that he has been spending huge money just to park his vehicle. “The parking charges are far more expensive than they should be. I sometimes feel I spend more money parking my vehicle than while riding it. They are charging ₹50 per hour [in malls]. In fact, in some malls, they don’t even advertise that users can produce merchant bills from the mall or even cinema tickets to get a discount or a full rebate on the parking fee. This information is deliberately suppressed.”

Unlike on the roads, where bikes are mostly parked for free and often at times on pavements, bike parking at malls costs a lot more. Malls also charge arbitrarily for the loss of parking tokens, sometimes sums as high as ₹350.

‘Parking mafias’

Suman Agarwal, a businessman in Purasawalkam, said malls were collecting parking charges that are unjustified and unreasonable. For example, at a mall in Royapettah, viewers of a three-hour-long movie or diners having a meal have to shell out ₹150 to ₹200 as parking charges. The same situation prevails in other malls situated in Velachery, Vadapalani and Anna Nagar. Sometimes, there is no attendant to offer guidance in the lower levels of the parking lots, with the result that visitors have to search for their parking lots. At times, cars get stuck in unsafe locations on the road.

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A Central government law enforcing officer recounted his personal experience: “There are parking mafias in every mall and theatre. They charge at their whim and fancy with different slabs. I couldn’t find any type of tax mentioned or permission granted to collect parking fees. After all, if they are carrying out commercial activities, then its their responsibility to provide parking space. The staff are irresponsible and rude while visitors question them about charges.” The absence of cleanliness in parking lots is another issue that warrants serious attention from mall owners and Corporation officials.

New visitors can end up going round and round across the floors in a maze, with inadequate illumination and staff to guide them to the appropriate parking slot. In the name of exit and entry, vehicles have to be driven around long winding ramps to reach parking places.

“After finishing shopping, we find it difficult to reach the parking lot. Again, one has to undergo a harrowing experience — ‘this lift will not get you to parking and that one will take you’. If we finally reach the car or bike in the parking lot, it will again be a long-winding journey back to come out — it won’t be any easier or quicker to reach the exit point,” said R. Thinesh of Adambakkam. Exiting malls is not easy since traffic outside is blocked by haphazardly parked autorickshaws and taxis. Traffic police personnel often stand as mute spectators, without bothering to clear the chock-a-block jams.

‘Recurring expenses’

Mall owners, however, counter the allegations made by users, and say parking charges are collected only to provide amenities to visitors and not for earning money.

“We have invested nearly ₹40-₹50 crore for [building] the parking areas alone. And we require nearly 70,000 units of electricity for keeping the ventilation on. We bear a lot of recurring expenses for electricity and for staff present to assist to work properly. Then we have the guidance system. We have people in three shifts — 30-40 people are there, apart from security, only for parking,” said R. Aroonkumar, chief financial officer of a leading mall in the city.

Revenue stream

Vaitheeswaran, a tax law expert said, “Parking charges have become an important stream of revenue. The malls also are losing business. In the U.S., no new mall has been constructed in the last few years because malls are dying the world over. A lot of people have migrated to buying online. It may run for another five years in India since malls are also entertainment and event venues. Everybody is buying online. From a survival perspective, malls have to definitely look at revenue streams such as parking.”