SAN DIEGO (KGTV) -- The days of free parking at the Westfield UTC Mall are numbered and it could cost some employees.
Come January 30, the mall will roll out its 'secured parking plan' aimed at keeping non-shoppers from parking on the property.
Customers can park free for the first two hours and then pay $2 per additional hour, with a daily maximum of $15.
While the parking stations have been in place for months, some mall employees say they were blindsided to learn they too might have to pay for parking.
Mall officials say employers have the option of purchasing parking passes for employees. If not purchased by the employer, individual employees may purchase the passes themselves.
“It’s another bill to put on top of the rest," said one employee, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of being fired. His employer will not be purchasing parking passes for employees.
The anonymous employee says they were told daily passes will cost $5 and monthly passes will cost $75.
“Personally it’s $900 out of my budget each year to go to work, and that’s on top of car payment and insurance," said the employee.
He's concerned for mall employees who only make minimum wage and cannot afford the extra cost.
While the mall is offering subsidized public transit passes, the concerned employee says that's not an option for everyone. He wishes there had been more transparency about the policy in the months leading up to January 30 roll-out.
Mall officials referred 10News to their website regarding the parking plan and said they could not answer additional questions at this time.
