Shoppers at the Richmond Mall now face a two-hour carparking limit while Stage 2 of the mall’s redevelopment is underway.
Previously, shoppers have had three hours to shop, get groceries, have a coffee, attend an appointment or whatever else they need to do at the mall.
Some mall customers, including elderly and disabled, have expressed concerns on Facebook, saying two hours may not allow enough time to shop and have rests.
Richmond Mall’s manager, Belinda de Clercq, says the two-hour limit will only be in place while Stage 2 construction is underway, which is expected to last for the next few months.
Some parking areas will be unavailable during that period, and she says the reduced parking time will ensure fair access for all customers.
“We understand some visits – such as hearing or eye tests – can take longer. If customers need extra time, they can email their appointment to info@richmondmall.co.nz, and we will arrange to void any parking ticket.”
One shopper, who prefers not to be named, has Parkinson’s Disease and spinal arthritis. He says many elderly and disabled people will struggle with the two-hour limit. Finding an available disabled carpark is often challenging.
“I can only walk a short distance until I start to stumble and need a rest. There’s a lot of young people out there suffering from different things too. I can’t see how (two-hour limit) would benefit the businesses either. I used to spend a lot of time at the mall – I could spend three hours there happily, going around shops and having a coffee. No time for a coffee now.”
He also raised concerns about the location of disabled parks.
“There are a few parks at the supermarket, but they’re nearly always full and the way things are at the moment, you have to be able to walk around the whole side of the mall. Elderly people sometimes have greater toilet needs than younger people.”
Belinda says the mall provides 13 disabled parks which meets code requirements. Some spaces have been temporarily relocated during construction, but they remain available.
At the completion of Stage 2, the number of disabled parks will increase to 16 and will be positioned near new entries for easy access.
