Malls, multiplexes in Pune toe line but PMC’s auditoriums continue to charge parking fees

Civic halls charge for parking; recreation centres cannot

While on one hand Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has threatened to file “extortion cases” against malls and multiplexes for charging patrons for parking on the premises, civic body-owned auditoriums are defying the same guidelines and charging visitors parking fees.

Parking at Balgandharva Rang Mandir is charged even though the property is owned by the Pune Municipal Corporation (Ravindra Joshi/HT PHOTO)

Last week, PMC’s city improvement committee served notices to 40 malls and multiplexes in the city to revoke paid parking on the premises, following which some have taken cognizance of the notice and have allowed free parking on site.

However, PMC contiues to charge parking fees at many of its “natya gruha” (auditoriums) across the city. Amol Balwadkar, chairman, city improvement committee, however, defended the PMC saying, “it’s completely legitimate to charge parking charges at auditoriums as the civic body is offering a service to people”.

Balwadkar said, “Through the auditoriums, PMC is offering service to preserve culture and it is not a business, as done by malls and multiplexes in the city. There is nothing wrong in providing pay-and-park at a nominal cost for audiences who are not spending more than Rs 500 for a play.”

After PMC served notices, some malls and multiplexes in the city stopped charging parking fees. Westend mall, Aundh; and the Pavillion mall on Senapati Bapat Road are currently not charging for parking.

On June 22, other malls like Phoenix Market City on Nagar road; Seasons mall and Amanora mall in Hadapsar followed suit. The E Square multiplex is also not charging a parking fee.

However, at the Balgandharva Rang Mandir and the Annabhau Sathe auditorium at Padmavati, parking fees are being charged from patrons.

According to the Revansiddhi services, the contractor responsible for collecting parking fees at Balgandharva Rang Mandir, the charges will continue.

“We have not received any intimation of any such notice of stopping pay and park services. It os only for malls and multiplexes,” said Yatin Phadke, who oversees operations at Balgandharva.

The pay-and-park charges at Balgandharva are Rs 5 per hour for two-wheelers and Rs 10 per hour for four-wheelers. “This is the lowest we are charging. There is no system to keep in check how much each contractor is charging,” Phadke added.

Sanjay Kendale, the parking operator at Ganesh Kala Krida manch, said, “We bid on a tender for five years and if the PMC wants to stop pay-and-park, then it should pay us our entire deposit, rent money plus charges for our staff.”

Theatre actors and culture enthusiasts in the city believe the civic body’s move to charge parking fees at auditoriums is not apropriate.

Sunil Mahajan, president, Kothrud Natya Parishad, said he is planning to write to Mayor Mukta Tilak on Tuesday stating that parking at PMC-owned theatres should be free.

“If the PMC can ask multiplexes and malls to allow free parking citing public amenity space, then it should also make these spaces free of charge for parking at auditroiums and galleries that it owns. PMC should concentrate on cleanliness and security instead,” Mahajan said.

MNS for free parking at hospitals, edu sites

The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has demanded a ban on parking charges at educational institutions and hospitals in the city as well.

Ajay Shinde, MNS city unit president, issued a press statement claiming that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the ruling party in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), is indulging in a publicity stunt of banning parking charges at malls.

“This is welcome move, but MNS is demanding that parking charges at hospitals be scrapped. Contractors are charging fees even at Sassoon hospital, which is wrong. PMC has given land to many hospitals so it should ask them to scrap the fees,” Shinde said.

“People go to malls to shop and those going there have the paying capacity, but common people going to hospitals and educational institutes should not be charged. BJP should take decision to ban parking fees at these places on priority,” said Shinde.

Parking fees at leisure destinations

Go to shop or watch a movie, parking is free; take in a play and you have to pay

Free parking

Malls

Westend mall, Aundh

Pavillion mall, Senapati Bapat Road

Phoenix Market City, Ahmednagar road

Seasons mall, Hadapsar

Amanora mall, Hadapsar

Multiplex

E Square, Senapati Bapat road

Paid parking

Balgandharva Rang Mandir, JM road

Annabhau Sathe auditorium, Padmavati

Ganesh Kala Krida manch

All these are PMC-owned properties