With the onset of hot summer season, it is common sight to see uncontrollable rush in the Mall(s) particularly in States where it is hot weather, particularly in weekends and generally in the Malls located in cities/towns. The reason for the huge rush being not one but many, that is, free of cost Air Conditioned premises, toilet facilities with no less than 5-Star hotel type with free sanitary items, free hand dryers, free napkins/tissues, etc., places for relaxing in the Malls regardless of in-time and out-time. It is also a common sight that majority of the Mall goers’ hands are free with hardly some customers, rather real customers, carrying shopping bags with articles purchased. Majority of the visitors to the Mall just come for the sake of outing and enjoying the above facilities free of cost. Similar is the case during winter season with facilities of heating and other amenities. One may even undertake the bowel movement in a state-of-the-art toilets in Mall(s).
There are different categories of visitors to the Malls, for example, those real high street customers who make the day for the shops in the vicinity of Malls, then there are customers who come just for purchase of grocery and other household items getting attracted by the offer of discounts, etc. which hardly prove a benefit for the Mall in the real sense of the term, then there are some customers who come for a break with eating outside in many of the eating outlets available in the Mall and pass hours of time in the Mall just having a plate of chole bature or masala dosa, that too, on sharing basis, then lastly, there are those fake customers who just visit Mall for the purpose of passing time and enjoy the facilities all free of cost and hardly even spend a Rupee.
In addition, there are the Tik-Tok type characters who come just for the sake of enjoyment, picnicking and taking selfie with many of the artistic objects and decorations found in the Mall. Now, in the pandemic period, to talk about the various hygiene measures including usage of free hand sanitizing machines installed in the Mall, the less said the better. It must be that many litres of hand sanitizers may be in use on daily basis in the Malls all being used by majority of the visitors without limit. If one buys hand sanitizer at home, one might think twice before using the same or pressing on the nozzle, but while using the same in Mall, there is no limit. Sometimes people just try the bath themselves with the hand sanitizer since the machine keeps spraying the liquid without any condition.
It is high time some nominal amount like Rs. 50 or even Rs. 100 is charged for entry into Mall, depending on the location of the Mall itself. For the real customers, it will not be a big amount but at least it will curtail the unnecessary visitors to the Mall thereby decrease the avoidable rush and also save on the various cleaning materials that are in use and for which expenditure needs to be incurred for maintaining the cleanliness in the Mall. Since the Malls are all private-owned, there should hardly be any reason for not charging fee for entry and usage of Mall(s). For that matter, can anyone enter inside the Airport and avail the free Air Conditioning and other facilities? No. The various Malls all across the various cities are no less than any of the Airports as far as the facilities and cleanliness are concerned. Even many of the office-goers in the nearby areas of Mall(s) can easily park their vehicles in the Malls offering free parking facilities.
There should be parking charges levied by the Mall on an hourly basis. One cannot be denied entry into Malls but once some charge is levied for entry into Mall, then the crowd particularly in the weekends can be curtailed to a large extent and thereby maintain the standards and cleanliness of the Malls. The situation is gruesome during festival days in various Malls. Any places of entertainment or recreation, be it fun, amusement or water park, be it gym, be it swimming pool, be it Cineplex or multiplex, be it museum or exhibition, be it sports complex, nothing comes for free nowadays. Then why only the Mall which is allowed entry-free and which makes one utilize the facilities free of cost and thereby increase on the avoidable foot counts in the Mall? Nowadays, nothing comes for free, even the oxygen was available for a cost during the pandemic period. If Mall(s) owners are running a charity, then it’s a different matter, but we do not think any of the Malls will be running for a charity purpose.
The Malls need to impose entry restrictions by way of imposition of fixed charges and definitely there should not be any kind of objection from any angle, since such step of charging for entry into Malls will only add on to the facilities and comforts for the ‘real customers’ in the Mall. If some kind of entry fee is charged, then only the genuine customers- be it for eateries, or for hyper stores or for various other outlets in the Mall – will visit the Mall and spend at least some amount of money and which is what is the purpose of the Mall should be, as it cannot be said to be a place for just entertainment or for passing time and utilizing the facilities available that too totally free of cost.
