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Peter Matika, [email protected] 

BULAWAYO’S parking management company, Tendy Three Investments (TTI), was forced to reduce its daily parking fees by 50 percent from US$8 per day to US$4 in response to concerns raised by motorists in the city. 

TTI runs the city’s parking management, having been awarded the tender in 2020 under a build, operate, and transfer (BOT) arrangement with Bulawayo City Council (BCC) getting 30 percent from every dollar generated.

In May, TTI introduced parking fees as follows: the platinum package pegged at US$90 a month, the gold package pegged at US$50 a fortnight, and the silver package at US$30 a week, sparking a debate from motorists who felt the fees were exorbitant.

The following month, the Bulawayo Business Development Association (BBDA) tried to mobilise motorists to stage a five-day parking boycott. 

Before he was elected councillor for Ward Four, Citizens’ Coalition for Change (CCC) member Mr David Coltart hinted that he would push for a review of the contract awarded to TTI if elected.

While the generality of the motoring public has welcomed the review of the parking fees, they also took TTI to task over its failure to rehabilitate the dilapidated parking bays in the city that are riddled with potholes.

Some motorists implored TTI to also consider reviewing its US$1 hourly parking fees.

BCC recently held several engagements with organisations representing residents and businesses over the exorbitant parking fees. 

TTI executive chairperson and director Mr Lizwe Mabuza said they reduced the daily parking fees from US$8 to US$4 following a series of consultations and engagements between BCC and other stakeholders.

“The reduction was necessitated by engagements, which we had with the business community. They complained that the fees were exorbitant. The fact that our economy is largely informal you have a number of people now using their backyards in the city centre and sanitary lanes for parking to evade paying parking fees,” he said.

“We reviewed our packages targeting motorists who spend the better part of the day in town.”

BCC corporate communications manager Mrs Nesisa Mpofu said the daily package is in line with the monthly package that was rolled out a few months ago.

“The daily package is in line with the monthly package that was rolled out more than two months ago. It offers the same level of discount such as a 55 percent discount to those who park in the city centre for the whole day,” she said.

“In essence, it is focused on people doing business in town and are not able to pay US$90 per month, but are able to pay US$4 on a daily basis.”

 

Mrs Mpofu said the hourly parking fee will remain the same, arguing that it is a benchmark fee across the country.

“Parking is still US$1 per hour for casual patrons such as people spending a few hours in the city centre. This is benchmarked to other cities such as Harare, Mutare, Beitbridge, and Gweru and so on,” she said.

Mrs Mpofu said the delay in rehabilitating and repairing parking bays was due to budgetary constraints.

“Fees collected are ring-fenced for fixing of parking bays only. Given the state of our parking bays, the capital required to fix them is quite high. This makes the pace of fixing the bays to be somewhat slow due to budgetary constraints,” she said.

Bulawayo Urban Residents Association (BURA) chairperson Mr Winos Dube said they welcome the move.

“As a residents’ association and business community, we welcome the move. Following several engagements with various groups, they have finally listened. However, there is still concern over the hourly parking fees, and we will continue to engage BCC to further review the fees,” he said.

Mr Dube said TTI’s presence in the city has, however, brought sanity to the city’s traffic policing system and also created employment for the local youths.

A motorist, Mr Welly Zikhali said: “In as much as we are happy and welcome the reduction in parking fees, the hourly parking fee still remains high. Not everyone can afford US$ 1 for just an hour.”

Mr Zikhali urged TTI to further review downwards the daily parking fees, saying they are still high.

Another motorist Mr Ntandoyenkosi Siziba also welcomed the review.

 “It makes sense that the fees have been reviewed downwards for the daily parking fees. TTI should consider reducing the US$1 hourly fee, particularly having people spending less time in the city centre in mind,” he said.

BCC recently announced that it needs about US$27 million to completely modernise the city centre road network and ensure the establishment of efficient parking infrastructure.

The introduction of a smart parking system is part of BCC’s drive to modernise the city in line with Government development targets towards Vision 2030.