adminLovemore Zigara Herald Correspondent
Gweru City Council is set to roll out an automated parking system in May to replace the manual prepaid parking system. The manual prepaid parking system has been roundly condemned by motorists as it is prone to manipulation, which has resulted in indiscriminate clamping of cars. Council assistant director for finance Mr Owen Masimba said the new parking system will go a long way in addressing challenges faced by motorists.
“We are now migrating to an automated parking system whereby sensors will be installed on parking bays and it will be able to take the details of the vehicle so much that we do not rely on the clamp like what has been happening,” said Mr Masimba.
“Most of the complaints we have are to do with the visibility of our employees on the streets and we also appreciate that it is a problem. We hope to have the rollout of the automated parking system by May this year, for the convenience of our motorists.”
The new system, if implemented, is expected to plug out financial leakages through corruption which the local authority had been experiencing since the introduction of the prepaid parking system in 2013.
In a special full council meeting held in April 2015, councillors noted that there were many irregularities in the council’s pre-paid parking system, some of which border on corrupt practices in the area of pre-paid parking and clamping. It costs a dollar to park a car for an hour in the central business district, while the cost after clamping is $30 and $80 after towing.
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