Post News Network
Cuttack, March 30: Cuttack district administration, relenting to the traders’ demand, has suspended collecting parking fees from bikers, cycle and rickshaw-pullers till Thursday.
‘‘The parking fee collection is affecting our business. Anyone who visits this place even for an inquiry is not spared from parking fee. Regular customers have stopped visiting our shops. We have decided to protest against this arbitrary collection of parking fee and it will continue till it is scrapped completely,” said Suryakant Sangneria, president of Balu Bazar Puja committee.
The protest started when a motorcyclist was asked to pay parking fee when he visited a shop to make some inquiries. The shopkeeper protested the arbitrary fee collection and subsequently other traders joined. Later, the area was shut-down completely for a day with protesters blocking the road by burning tyres.
‘‘Even if one has to buy a shampoo sachet of Rs 3, he has to shell Rs 10 for parking which is illogical. Why should a person come to our locality where he has to pay fee even if he doesn’t buy anything,” says Prafulla, a trader.
It was also alleged that several vehicle users were ill-treated when they raised objections to the way the parking fees were being collected from the agents of parking slot operators, said another trader. Meanwhile, ACP (Traffic) PK Dalei said a meeting will be held Thursday regarding the parking fee collection and till then the collection of fees has been stopped.