Summary:
Parking on the streets has increased after the introduction of smart parking and VMC should revise the fares.” Vijayawada: Trade unions and stall owners of Kaleswara Rao market staged protests on Monday opposing teh exorbitant parking fare collected by the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC). The civic body which introduced the smart parking system on a trial basis at Kaleswara Rao market had introduced an hourly billing system which has come in for severe criticism.Chennai-based Smart Parking India Private Ltd was given the responsibility of managing the app-based smart parking system and they started charging Rs 10 per three hours as parking fees from two-wheelers which are facing criticism from shop owners and workers.“Altogether 2,000 staffers working at Kaleswara Rao market and Vastralatha park their vehicles in Kaleswara Rao market, we used to pay Rs 10 per day earlier. Exorbitant parking fees collected by VMC will further hit business as buyers will prefer to go to shopping malls which provide valet services at no extra cost. The private agency is looting us in the name of hourly billing and we are supposed to pay Rs 40 per day which is a heavy burden,” said K Mani Kumar who runs a vegetable stall in the market.K Nagaraju, representative of Kaleswara Rao Market United Forum, said the government which is providing free parking at all Rythu Bazaars is charging huge parking fees from buyers who come to Kaleswara Rao market..