Now, Kurla mall makes dedicated parking space for autos

Phoenix Market City makes dedicated parking space for autos after facing flak for turning away man who arrived in his family's auto

The new, dedicated parking space for autorickshaws at Phoenix Market City in Kurla. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

Humiliation won't be meted out to Vikas Tiwari the next time he visits Phoenix Market City in his brother's autorickshaw. Five days after mid-day carried a report on Tiwari's ordeal of being denied parking space in the mall just because he came in the humble vehicle, the Kurla-based shopping centre has changed its policy and now has a dedicated parking space for autorickshaws.

Space for three
On Friday, this reporter visited the mall in an autorickshaw to check the status of the parking and found that a space has indeed been made available for autorickshaws. Roshan Singh, a security guard showed the way to the parking space, where three autorickshaws can be parked. The guard levied R40 as parking charges.

After mid-day carried a series of reports on the issue, Rajendra Kalkar, President, Phoenix Market City said that parking for all personal vehicles, including autos
is permitted at the mall through specified entries and the same is communicated to all patrons during entry.

Good move
Singh said, "The parking space was made available two days ago. It happened after mid-day carried the story for not allowing an autorickshaw in the mall. On Friday morning around two autorickshaws came to the parking space. It's good that a parking space has been made available, as autorickshaw owners from different parts of Mumbai used to come for shopping along with their family and were not allowed to park. They had to stay put in the auto for hours till the family completes the shopping."

Auto driver says
Rahim Shaikh an auto-rickshaw driver who availed of the parking said, "We don't travel with our families all the time. Usually, many of the customers book us with return fare. In such cases, we need to park the auto and wait till they return. It's a victory for the autorickshaw drivers who were neglected and not allowed to park in such malls."

Rs 40
Parking charges levied for rickshaws at the mall

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