Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu [email protected]
GWANDA Municipality has reintroduced prepaid parking in its central business district (CBD), charging motorists US$2 an hour in a move that could affect not only local drivers but motorists and bus operators travelling between South Africa and Bulawayo through the town as well.
Gwanda is a key transit town for motorists and buses travelling to and from South Africa to Bulawayo and beyond, making the new charges particularly relevant to travellers who stop to shop, refuel or attend to other business.
The local authority says the initiative is aimed at easing congestion and restoring order in the CBD, with motorists who fail to pay within seven days risking having their vehicles clamped and being charged a US$30 penalty.
In an interview, Gwanda Mayor Alderman Thulani Moyo said the local authority has procured digital point-of-sale (POS) machines and deployed cashiers to collect parking fees.
“We have moved to enforce the traffic by law in terms of compliance with parking. We realised that there has been a lot of congestion in the town caused by free parking. It’s not a normal situation for a local authority not to control parking and traffic as prescribed in the Urban Councils Act.
“We have procured digital POS machines which we are using for the prepaid parking. We have employed cashiers that we have deployed into the streets. More youths will be employed as cashiers. So far we are running this programme internally as a pilot initiative,” he said.
Alderman Moyo said council planned to acquire a tow truck and additional equipment to strengthen enforcement and roll out the programme fully.
He said the pilot initiative was already easing congestion, adding that some motorists had previously left their vehicles parked in the CBD for several days.
“We are a transit town and we have to ensure that visitors who pass through the town have access to the road and are free to move. We are also a provincial capital and we have a lot of dignitaries who come here and pass through.
“On that same note we are also addressing the issue of some motorists that park their cars in the CBD and sell their wares from their cars without paying and money to council. This will come to an end,” said Alderman Moyo.
He said businesspeople could arrange to purchase monthly parking space, which would be reserved and marked for them.
Meanwhile, residents and motorists have expressed mixed reactions to the development, with some welcoming the move while others criticised council for allegedly failing to give adequate notice.
Ms Ntombi Khumalo said the system would make it easier for motorists to find parking spaces when visiting shops.
“It’s high time that we have a prepaid parking system in Gwanda and I am glad that we now have it. There was a lot of congestion in the town and it was becoming difficult to find parking. When buying something from a shop we were forced to park far because of unavailability of space. Now I can get to a shop find parking, do my business and then leave,” she said.
However, Mr Mandlenkosi Tshuma said council should have consulted motorists before reintroducing the system, particularly because it had previously been suspended.
“I was surprised to find a ticket on my car after I had left his parked in the CBD. I wasn’t aware that the prepaid parking system had been reactivated and when I asked around, fellow motorists were as surprised as
I was. The municipality introduced prepaid parking two years back and sent a notice to inform us about the development and after a few months they stopped implementing it.
“Now I’m surprised that council hasn’t informed us about this new development of reactivating the prepaid parking as we deserve to know,” he said.
Another motorist, Mr Talent Nkomo, said council should first improve parking bays before enforcing the charges, arguing that some areas lacked visible parking lines and clearly marked bays.
