Now, park free at malls, multiplexes in Vizag for the first half an hour

Visakhapatnam: People have a big reason to smile as Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) has decided not to charge any parking fee from the shoppers and cinemagoers visiting malls and multiplexes in the Vizag city.

GVMC Commissioner Srijana Gummalla said no parking fee shall be charged for the first half an hour, which could be extended to one hour if the owner of the vehicle produces an invoice from the mall or multiplex.

She said in case the bike or car has been parked for more than an hour and the vehicle owner produces a bill or movie ticket which costs from Rs 20 to Rs 50, then the parking fee will be waived off.

“Illegal parking near commercial establishments and cinema theaters often leads to traffic congestion. So we have decided to provide free parking facility at the commercial establishments to overcome traffic congestion”, she said.

Social activists have welcomed the move. G Srinivas, a social activist, said GVMC has taken a good decision as there were complaints that people are being fleeced in the name of the parking fee at commercial establishments in Vizag city.

However, doubts remain whether the commercial establishments will follow the rules since they are infamous for ignoring the instructions.