Pune: Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) City Improvement Committee (CIC) has issued directives to municipal administration to issue a notice to multiplexes and malls to provide free parking for visitors. This issue, first raised in 2012, remained unsolved stating lack of provision in Maharashtra Regional Town Planning (MRTP) and development control rules of corporation. However, PMC’s law department has decided to refer to the Andhra Pradesh High Court judgement making it mandatory for malls and multiplexes to provide free parking.
Pune has around 15 multiplexes and 40 big malls. All these establishments are charging parking fee from their customers to park their vehicles in their premises. The malls charge minimum Rs 20 to Rs 40 for four-wheelers and Rs 10 to Rs 20 for two-wheelers.
In 2012, Traffic police department had proposed to civic body that all malls and multiplexes in the city should stop charging fees for parking of vehicles.
Acting on this proposal, then Municipal Commissioner Mahesh Pathak issued direction to building permission department to find a solution for charging parking from commercial establishments like malls and multiplexes.
However, this did not come to effect due to lack of legal base. Now, after seven years, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) regime has taken up this issue and issued an order to administration to send notice to malls, multiplexes and private establishments.
Chairman of City Improvement Committee (CIC) and corporator of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Amol Balwadkar said, “As no machinery wants to take action against mall owners, the visitors are helpless on this issue as they are forced to pay parking charges at malls . Now, we have decided to send notices to multiplexes and malls owners.”
According to Building Permission and Development Department officials, “While sanctioning the building plan, it is mandatory for owners or developers that they should have reserved parking space. It is part of the building plan. However, it is not mentioned anywhere in corporation rule book about making it compulsory to provide free parking or charge money for parking. In such cases, we can only suggest malls to provide free parking.”
Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) Chief Legal advisor Ravindra Thorat said, “It is true that there is no legal provision in MRTP and Development Control Rules of the corporation. However, we can take send notices to malls owners quoting Andhra Pradesh High Court ruling of 2003. As per this ruling, high court has given directives to mall owners not to charge parking fee for public access.”
10 malls have free parking
- The civic body surveyed 37 malls and multiplexes in the city and checked the status of parking.
- It found that only 10 malls provides free parking. They were located in Kharadi, Wadgaonsheri, Kondhwa, Wakdewadi, Kothrud, Lohegaon, Chandan Nagar, Satara Road and Aundh.
- Abhiruchi Mall located on Sinhagad Road is charging Rs 2.50 for two-wheelers and Rs 5 for four-wheelers. Remaining are charging minimum Rs 10 to maximum Rs 30 for two-wheeler parking and minimum Rs 20 to maximum Rs 50 for four-wheeler parking.
