The opening of big multi-brand showrooms and malls in the winter capital may have benefited the residents in shopping, but the issue of wrong parking of vehicles outside these business houses is yet to be sorted out.
Despite having enough space for parking of vehicles at the basement of some of the malls, the customers in order to avoid paying parking charges prefer to park their vehicles on the road outside the malls thereby creating traffic chaos.
Keeping in mind the ever-increasing traffic congestion on roads of the city, especially where malls are located, special attention was given to proper parking of vehicles inside the malls so that there is smooth flow of traffic, but despite that the scenario remains the same.
Sources said one of the main reasons behind parking of vehicles outside the malls, according to people, is the alleged hefty parking fee being charged by the malls. They added that strict instructions had been issued to the staff deployed outside the main entrance of malls to ensure that no customer parked his/her vehicle outside the mall.
“Most of the customers who come to the mall usually park their vehicles inside the mall by giving parking fees, but there are a few who feel proud in saving the charges and park their vehicles in a haphazard manner. When the customers come to the malls to spend lavishly on their shopping then why it pinches them to pay a nominal parking fee,” said an official of a mall.
General public on the other hand is in favour of reduction in parking fee by the malls. “No doubt, there is ample space for parking of vehicles in the malls, but what about the fee being charged from us. In fact, there are malls in other states which are much bigger in size than in J&K, but their charges are nominal,” said Rohit, a local.
When contacted, an official of the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) attending toll-free number said the issue of wrong parking outside shopping malls in the city was to be dealt by the Traffic Department.
