Chronicle Editor
Tafadzwa Chibukwa, Chronicle Reporter
A GROUP of Bulawayo residents including those operating businesses in the city centre yesterday converged at the City Hall Car Park to present a petition to the city council over a privately administered parking system recently introduced by the local authority.
Initially, the residents who were waving placards, wanted to stage a demonstration. They were however, blocked by police.
The Bulawayo City Council (BCC) in partnership with a private company, Tendy Three International (TTI) introduced the new parking system in February. Cabinet-approved US$2 million Bulawayo Vehicle Parking Management System.
Residents called on BCC to review the parking fees.
BCC approved the company’s tender application last year on July 10. Under the arrangement council receives 30 percent of the collected parking fees while the company gets 70 percent.
Residents said the US$1 per hour pricing model of the parking system was exorbitant.
Paid parking is from 8AM to 5PM from Monday to Friday and 9AM to 1PM on Saturday. There is free parking on Sundays and public holidays.
The area under the prime parking zone is where major supermarkets, restaurants, fast-food outlets, banks, clothing stores and hair salons are situated.
It is therefore costly for people to do their shopping or buy food while parked in this prime parking zone as many will require more than an hour to do so.
When Chronicle news crew visited the City Hall car park, scores of residents had gathered and they were carrying placards with messages denouncing council. Some of messages read: “We want affordable parking, “Parking fees too expensive” and “We demand good service.”
Disgruntled residents and businesspeople yesterday called on council to revisit the deal and reduce parking fees, arguing that business is being lost. Police were deployed to monitor the situation.
Bulawayo Residents for Development coordinator, Mr Farai Manganda, addressed the people who had gathered at the venue.
He said the on-site parking in the city centre does not accommodate business owners in the city.
“This city council must give us options; we are not slaves hence the local authority cannot continue with this criminality. We have a right to be heard and participate in issues that affect this city. You only find cars parked in the city centre after 5PM. Council is saying people with on-site parking must be able to access the sanitary lanes to park at their buildings yet there are heaps of garbage in the sanitary lanes.”
Mr Manganda said the exorbitant parking fees have created a business crisis. He said the council continues to clamp vehicles regardless of emergencies.
“When council came up with this decision there were no consultations. Going forward we should have businesspeople in the council chambers, people who understand how to run the city centre,” he said.
“This is the only time we can stand as Bulawayo and say these are the challenges that we are facing, we want our leadership to hear us and we want them to involve us in decision making.”
Mr Manganda said while councillors and council officials have exemption parking discs, the same should be extended to senior citizens.
“Some of us happen to have vehicles and now we do not know where to park them. In my case, my area of residence has been demarcated with the parking system. As a businessman, this becomes a challenge to my business as my shops are situated along Jason Moyo, Fife Street and George Silundika,” he said.
“I have noted a drop of over 60 percent in our company sales since the system was introduced.”
Mr Manganda said efforts to engage the mayor and town clerk were fruitless.
The Town Clerk, Mr Christopher Dube said he was yet to receive the petition.
“I was aware of the meeting, but I did not see the petition,” said Mr Dube. The Mayor Councillor Solomon Mguni also said he was yet to see the petition, but added that the involvement of Cabinet in approving the project was in fulfilment of national investment laws.
He said the project will improve street lighting while boosting revenue generation.
Recently, residents came out guns blazing accusing local councillors of “rubber stamping” any decision made by the council management while ignoring genuine grievances from the people they represent.
They said Bulawayo is increasingly becoming one of the most expensive cities in the country. The residents cited the recent decision to benchmark rates against the US dollars.
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