Vijayawada vegetable retailers protest smart parking, allege overcharging
VIJAYAWADA: Satyanarayana Vegetable Retail Dealers’ Association (SVRDA) and Kaleswara Rao Market Retail Kirana and General Merchants’ Association (KRKGMA) jointly protested against the smart parking facility recently introduced by Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) on Monday.
They claimed that contractors of One Town’s Kaleswara Rao market suddenly increased the parking fee.
KRKGMA president Alamuri Ranga, secretary Mylavarapu Krishna, treasurer Lankapalli Apparao led the protest.
“The smart parking contractors are fleecing us. They are charging Rs 10 for two hours. As our business hours are for 12 hours, we end up paying a parking fee of Rs 60, which comes to Rs 1,800 a month.
How can a small vegetable hawker afford such an amount? Earlier, we were charged Rs 5 for 12 hours,” Lankapalli Appa Rao told TNIE. Adding to this is the shop rents that range between Rs 1,400 to Rs 10,000, he added.
Mylavaram Krishna said, “We have addressed a letter to VMC commissioner J Nivas and if he does not respond within five days, we will picket in front of his office.”
Both SVRDA and KRKGMA sent letters to the commissioner requesting removal of smart parking. The contents of the letters shared with TNIE read the vendors sustain their business by borrowing from creditors and the sudden hike in the parking fee have added to their financial woes.
Why would the customers pay “Rs 10 to Rs 20” extra for parking at a time when the prices of vegetables too have gone up, they asked.
They claim that the Supreme Court had framed guidelines prescribing the parking fee charges in areas where basic amenities are sold.