SMS comes handy to check overcharging at parking lot

To tackle the issue of overcharging by parking staff near Silver Arc shopping mall, the municipal corporation has asked the contractor to send an SMS to the car owner as soon as the vehicle is parked.

To tackle the issue of overcharging by parking staff near Silver Arc shopping mall, the municipal corporation has asked the contractor to send an SMS to the car owner as soon as the vehicle is parked.

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The move comes in the wake of repeated complaints of overcharging against the contractor near the mall. Although the contractor has started adhering to the MC order, but due to shortage of mobile phones, the staff was struggling.

The civic body had received complaints that the parking staff charge as high as Rs 30 for the first hour of parking against Rs 10 fixed by the authorities.

Devinder Singh, who is incharge of Zone D, admitted that there were several complaints of overcharging and misbehavior against the parking staff.

The parking lots were earmarked after the high court directed the MC to make the service lanes parking-free. The parking rate was fixed at Rs 10 for the first hour and another Rs 20 (total Rs 30) for the next one hour.

Contractor of the parking, Raju, said that they were facing problems in sending SMSes to all the car-owners as there was rush of vehicles. “On the other hand, a number of women do not want to disclose their mobile numbers with the staff,” he said.