Website Impact! Bank Removes Parking Signs within 12 Hours After Publication of Report

Website Impact! Bank Removes Parking Signs within 12 Hours After Publication of Report

Mangaluru: Talk about magic that issues highlighted in Mangalorean.com are getting rectified in no time- so, once again Mangalorean.com has proved one more positive result after highlighting another civic issue -Talk about the power of media, especially Electronic media where we highlight the civic issues and within few hours or couple of days the concerned authorities who can’t bear the criticism about their negligence, quickly get into action and rectify the civic issues. In the past Mangalorean.com has highlighted various civic issues through our website, and there has been a tremendous effect with most of the problems being fixed in no time, from rectifying dilapidated roads, open drainage, non-friendly footpaths, dog menace, neglected garbage, illegal hoardings, potholes, dying trees etc.

Following the report by Team Mangalorean (Ref: Parking Only for S.I.B Customers! But Does the Bank Own Public Property?) on 5 September 2021, it is nice to note that action was taken by the concerned people in removing the Parking Signs erected by South Indian Bank, in front of their branch, located opposite to District Wenlock Hospital/near to Milagres College, Mangaluru. Prior to the present existence of South Indian Bank there used to be a medical shop that closed due to lack of business, and after the bank started operating they had placed a few ‘PARKING ONLY FOR S.I.B. CUSTOMERS’ signs, which is illegal as per Mangaluru City Corporation rules. While Mangaluru City is already facing an acute shortage of parking spots, added to that, private business owners, including this Bank, are making use of some of the MCC owned property as their Parking spaces.

BEFORE …….

Many of these buildings applied for licences even though they had mentioned about providing parking places, but are running their businesses without space for parking in the building. If you look around the City, you will see ‘No Parking’ signs erected in front of the private firms- forget about private businesses, even a ‘No Parking’ sign is posted in front of a Neta’s office. But businesses should know that they don’t own the parking space-they only own or rent their business space- the parking place that they claim to be theirs, legally belongs to MCC. Period!

AFTER WEBSITE IMPACT….

After Team Mangalorean had highlighted the issue that the bank was using the public place as their parking space in the report published on Sunday, 5 September, Team Mangalorean noticed this morning before the bank opened for business, the parking signs had been removed. Thanks to the people who took action by doing the needful. Even though every private/commercial building has to provide enough space for vehicle parking, unfortunately, the owners of these buildings violate the rules after obtaining the licence, some even use political influence, as per MCC officials. So what a corrupt society are we living in?

One of our ardent readers, Sumit Rao, a businessman wrote, “Lots of places in Mangalore undergo such proclaimed boards encroaching public property and using it as their parking lot. Any Parking inside your compound wall is your private parking. Otherwise, it is public parking. Even in front of hotels like Sai paradise on K S Rao road or in front of any bank or business if there is no compound wall no one can stop you from parking there unless there is a no-parking board from the city corporation. Even in front of Alukkas on K S Rao Road, the watchman says parking only for Alukkas customers which is illegal. All boards of No Parking are put by the party themselves and none of them are erected by MCC and no action is also taken against them”.

Another reader Satish Shenoy wrote, “There is no compound wall regarding such banks and they completely put interlocks in public property and claim their right to post photos of one such place first thing in the morning and unfortunately the police don’t question them and talk in support of them”. A SIB customer said, “Even though I am a customer at this bank, I think it was not right on the part of the bank to erect such parking signs for them when they had enough parking spaces right in front of the branch and also on the sides. I park my vehicle a bit far from the bank and walk to do my bank transactions, and I think others also can do the same. Parking facilities need not be closer to a bank or a shop- sometimes you need to walk a distance. Kudos to Team Mangalorean for highlighting the issue for the benefit of the public.

In conclusion, a message to all these business owners, it is illegal for you to put a “no parking” sign out by the road, in a misguided attempt to prohibit parking. Such signs can be placed alongside the road only by the authority of the MCC or Traffic police. Essentially all other signs, placed near the road, or indeed anywhere in the public right of way, are illegal and may be removed by the concerned authorities without notice. But sadly that is not happening in Mangaluru. MCC and City traffic police have turned a blind eye to these issues, and commercial/business owners are taking advantage of this. But they should realize that the road is public, and open to all, with some exceptions. You could probably put a sign in your driveway, saying “No Parking” and be within your rights- but not on a public property that belongs to MCC/Citizens.

It is a public street, and you do not have the exclusive right to parking privilege. A no parking sign on the street in front of your business, unless it is your property, is ignorant. You do not own the street or have exclusive right to park there nor do your exclusive customers. Are Mangaluru City Corporation authorities who are evicting footpath vendors and encroachments by people blind to this rot of usurpation? Why are the traffic police who are always around the city turning a blind eye to such parking issues?

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