Chronicle Editor
Canditar Chapanduka, Features Reporter
SINCE the coming in of parking contractor Tendy Three Investments (TTI) into Bulawayo, it’s been one complaint after the other from the motoring public.
Motorists have continuously highlighted that US$1 per hour in parking fees is too high for them. Some have resorted to parking their cars far from where TTI operates as they avoid parking fees, leaving their cars prone to thievery.
On a daily basis, TTI personnel impound several vehicles for various traffic offences. Transgressions include parking on yellow lines, parking on taxi and disabled parking bays or parking in the middle of the road.
While some have applauded the parking contractor for bringing some form of sanity to the city’s parking bays as there is now less congestion and litter, others feel the parking contractor is providing a disservice to residents.
TTI runs the city’s parking management system, having been awarded the tender in 2020 under a build, operate and transfer (BOT) arrangement with the Bulawayo City Council getting 30 percent from every dollar generated.
Residents who live in the city centre are happy about the services offered by TTI as it has reduced crime rates around their flats.
Roads such as Fife Street, Jason Moyo and Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo are now clear as motorists parking there do their business and leave. Those who spend the whole day at work are now forced to park in areas where TTI has not implemented their parking system.
Residents said thieves would park their cars around their flats all day and would be stealing people’s phones and money.
After stealing, they would run into the cars and drive off but still come back after a while.
On the flip side however, some residents still feel shortchanged.
In an interview, Mrs Amanda Nyoni said the parking fees are expensive.
“If I park my car outside a supermarket and take two-and-a-half hours due to long queues and other challenges, it means I’ll have to pay US$3 or equivalent in local currency, which will be an extra cost. Even if I park for less than an hour, TTI will want money for the hour as they don’t charge in minutes but hourly. In the end, I prefer doing my groceries out of the city centre where I won’t be charged parking fees so that I do my groceries steadily without worrying about my car bill,” she said.
A motorist who spoke on condition of anonymity said they now have unnecessary expenses as a result of parking fees.
“I usually come to town to do business with individuals in different shops so I can park for five hours while doing my business. I will be required to pay US$5 for my parking duration of which that will be the profit that I would have got from my business. They should reduce the parking fees because a dollar is a lot of money to pay hourly,” he said.
Mr Takudzwa Shoko who stays in a flat in the City Centre said they no longer park their cars at their places of residence during the day until TTI workers knock off from work.
He said many have lost tyres, car radios and other valuables to car thieves as they are forced to park their cars far from where they will be in order to avoid parking fees.
Some supermarket owners who were operating from the city centre have closed their businesses and relocated to other areas because they prefer free parking with fair business over customers, workers and the shop owner failing to park in front of the shop. Some establishments have seen a decline in business as clients hesitate to park where they’re expected to pay.
Most businesses have complained that the partnership between BCC and TTI has a negative impact on them.
A shopowner operating along Robert Mugabe Way and 9th Avenue, Mr Mpumelelo Phiri, has since relocated to Nkulumane Complex.
“I was affected by the coming in of TTI because I have a shop by Robert Mugabe Way and 9th Avenue. Parking was an issue. I would park outside and by the time I returned, I would be clamped. So, when I came to Nkulumane Complex, I saw an opportunity. There’s parking and there’s space,” said Mr Phiri.
Street car wash crews have also felt the pinch as they no longer have as many cars to wash from the parking bays.
Mr Tinashe Chikara (23) who washes cars when they are parked at the bays along Jason Moyo Street said washing cars had become a full-time job for him.
“I no longer get the money that I used to get from washing cars because the number of cars that used to come and park are now less and the cars that come to park no longer park for a long time. They don’t ask for our services anymore because cleaning a car needs time,” he said.
Despite raking in thousands of dollars in revenue from the new parking system, the BCC is yet to attend to some bad roads around the city which have become a death trap, especially during the rainy season.
According to the BCC, most of its roads have outlived their lifespan and require US$700 million to rehabilitate them.
Commuter omnibus driver Mr Sindiswa Mudere said Khami Road is in a bad state and during the rainy season, potholes continue to increase and accidents are likely to occur as drivers try to avoid bad sections of the road.
“There’s a need for the road to be rehabilitated as soon as possible. I use Khami Road on a daily basis as I go to Pumula suburb. We need our roads to be safe,” he said.
BCC acting director of engineering services Engineer Sikhumbuzo Ncube said council is aware of the terrible state of the city’s roads.
“We’re in the process of mobilising resources so that we buy tar and start patching the potholes. However, we’re very aware that the situation on our roads is not good. Once we secure funds, we will address the issue of our roads,” said Eng Ncube.
The BCC entered into a partnership with TTI Parking Solutions for the parking system in February last year. The company started collecting fees under the first phase of the arrangement on February 18 amid resistance from motorists.
According to recent council minutes, BCC gets 30 percent of parking fees and 50 percent of the clamping fines.
Through this partnership, the city will see a vehicle impound yard along Lobengula Street, between 2nd and 1st Avenue being established.
The yard is expected to aid the smooth management of the parking system and mitigate the challenges faced by the city in terms of parking within the central business district.
TTI will provide advanced parking infrastructure and manage the parking system within the central business district. — @NomqheleC
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