HYDERABAD: Not willing to buckle under establishments which charge parking fee, local resident Venu Gopal lodged a complaint at the consumer forum against a building owner in Kacheguda crossroads which asked him for money to park his vehicle.
The forum ordered the owner to pay Rs 50,000 to Mr Venu Gopal in addition to Rs 5,000 costs within 30 days of the judgement. If the compensation was not paid, Mr Gopal was entitled to seven per cent interest. Despite the Consumer Protection Act regulating parking fees, companies and multiplexes are ignoring the provisions. Despite an order by minister K.T. Rama Rao, some establishments still collect parking fees.
Mr Akhilan Michael, a working professional, said, “There are still locations inside the city where parking fee is being levied. Citizens remain unaware of their rights and most often don't escalate issues as the process of complaining can be long.” Mr Rama Rao had earlier conducted meetings with GHMC officials which resulted in an application being created to notify the general public of locations where parking is free.
