Bengaluru police shuts Phoenix Mall of Asia to public for 15 days ahead of New Year

Traffic congestion near Mall of Asia near Bengaluru. X/@AudiPhotography

Bengaluru Police issued an order on December 30, restricting public access to Phoenix Mall of Asia on Bellari Road in North Bengaluru from December 31 to January 15.  The order comes a day before the New Year celebrations in the city.

The police invoked sections 144(1) and 144(2) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, restricting public access to Phoenix Mall of Asia, Bellari Road, Byatarayanapura, Yelahanka, from 10 am on December 31 to 11:59 pm on January 15, 2024. The move aims "to prevent annoyance and disturbance to public tranquility and provide a safe environment for traffic and the public at large," according to Bengaluru City Police Commissioner B Dayananda's order dated December 30.

Also, read: Bengaluru's Phoenix Mall of Asia causes massive traffic chaos on Christmas eve; cops issue advisory

On December 27, Phoenix Mall of Asia in Hebbal and Phoenix Marketcity in Whitefield were forced to shut down due to protests by pro-Kannada activists against mall management, demanding Kannada signboards.

On Christmas Eve, traffic chaos left Bellari Road (Airport Road) in North Bengaluru congested, with crowds thronging Phoenix Mall of Asia near Yelahanka. This forced the traffic police to issue an advisory. Users also claimed that the mall imposed a fee of Rs 200 for pedestrian entry and Rs 150 for cars.  The mall management was unavailable for comment.

The order issued by Dayananda states: "An emergency measure is imminently necessary to prevent annoyance, obstruction, offenses, and disturbance of public tranquility that may occur during New Year celebrations tomorrow (December 31) and to maintain public peace and order in the days that follow".

'Difficult to maintain peace and order'

"There are incidents of disruption of public peace and order every day, making it difficult to maintain peace and order. In the coming days, there is a significant possibility of traffic congestion, disruption, noise pollution, disturbance to the public, and peace disturbance in the surrounding areas. This applies especially to the occasions of New Year celebration on December 31, the second Saturday on January 13, 2024 and Sunday on January 14, 2024 when the Makara Sankranti festival is celebrated. Larger crowds visiting the mall during these times will lead to more inconvenience and disturbance to the public than before," said Dayananda.

Also, read: How Bengaluru mall, charging Rs 200 for pedestrian entry, caused traffic snarls on Christmas eve

"As per the report of the Joint commissioner of police (traffic), there is a need to provide parking space for at least 10,000 cars and 10,000 two-wheelers in the 'Phoenix Mall of Asia' building. It is essential to create an environment where residents, commuters, the general public, and patients do not suffer due to the mall's inability to provide sufficient parking spaces for the visiting public.", it said.

"If this matter is left unattended, there will be uproars and frequent disputes among the public.... It is essential to appropriately restrict public access to the mall and take measures to prevent obstruction and traffic congestion caused by the lack of space to park vehicles," it said.

Police urges BBMP to withdraw OC

Dayananda said they have also communicated with Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) along with a request to withdraw/cancel the partial Occupancy Certificate (OC) issued to the mall. "Further action in this regard is still awaited." he said.

According to the partial OC issued by BBMP, mall is a 12-storey building (including 2 basement floors) with a total area of 86,421 square meters from the ground floor to the third floor. However, mall has only two basements to park 2,324 cars and two-wheelers.

"As there is insufficient space for parking in this mall, vehicles of the public coming to the mall are waiting in a queue at the entrance without being able to enter inside. Consequently, there is traffic congestion on the service road alongside the main road, leading to vehicular traffic getting halted for a prolonged period on both sides of the highway's main carriageway", the police chief's order stated.

Owing to the insufficient parking space within the mall premises, around 2,000 cars and 10,000 two-wheelers were haphazardly parked in the surrounding areas and roads outside the mall.  "Consequently, the service road and vehicular traffic on the highway were severely disrupted, causing significant inconvenience to locals and the general public", it said.

Noise Pollution

The mall's exhaust blowers are causing high levels of noise pollution, leading to numerous complaints from local residents who report difficulties in sleeping at night and students finding it challenging to study. According to the report provided by the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board, noise pollution exceeds the prescribed limits. Assistant Commissioner Of Police, Yelahanka sub-division, has already issued orders to cease the noise pollution immediately. Further, as per the submissions of the mall manager, when there is a large gathering in the mall and vehicles in the basement parking lot, blowers inevitably contribute to significant noise pollution, it said.

Major Road

The order stated that commercial complex is adjacent to the service road of Bellari highway, which serves as the primary connecting road to Kempegowda International Airport. This highway also links Byatarayanpura, Sahakar Nagar, Judicial Layout, Jakkur area, NTI Layout, and other densely populated areas of North Bengaluru to different parts of the city via Hebbal. Additionally, major hospitals and office spaces operate alongside this highway, making it a vital lifeline for the northern areas of Bengaluru.

"Due to the congestion, daily lives of the surrounding local population are greatly affected, causing them a lot of suffering, including students who are adversely affected during their commute to schools and colleges. Various local organisations, schools, and colleges have submitted complaints to the department regarding the chaos caused by the mall....The worsening situation led to a flash protest on December 24, 2023, by local residents in front of the mall against the inconvenience caused by the mall," it said.

"Due to the problem of traffic congestion arising from the mall, passengers going to the airport are inconvenienced every day. Similarly, BMTC and KSRTC buses plying on this highway are experiencing considerable delays, leading to inconvenience and suffering of passengers".

As the road is also used by VIPs, their security is threatened whenever they pass through these highway stretches in front of the mall. Ambulances transporting patients for emergency treatment to hospitals in this area and to other hospitals in the city are not able to quickly traverse this road, leading to a delay in reaching the hospital. The inability to get in-time treatment in such emergencies may result in the loss of precious lives.", it adds.

Also, read:  North Bengaluru turns city’s new hotspot, as infrastructure and business lead the way