Gweru hikes parking fees

GWERU City Parking has increased street parking fees to $100 from $80, with effect from October 1, Southern Eye has established.

"The notice serves to inform the motoring public that on street parking tariff in Gweru CBD [central business district] has been adjusted from $80 to $100 per hour," the company said in a statement yesterday.

"The adjustments are with effect from October 1, 2021."

Gweru City Parking spokesperson Francis Mandaza could not be reached for comment yesterday, but motorists told this publication that the hike was "irrational and unacceptable."

"What would be the rationale for such an increase?" a motorist, James Chiseko queried.

Another motorist, Tendai Maphosa, said the adjustment was questionable given that the inter-bank rate of the United States dollar remained around $87.

"Before this adjustment, we were paying $80 or an equivalent of US$1," she said.

"Is the parking company now saying the US$1 is now equivalent to $100? Are they now using the parallel market rate?"

A Mkoba resident, Queen Moyo, said Gweru City Parking appeared to be more "interested in profiteering at the expense of bringing de-congestion to the city's CBD".

Recently, mayor Josiah Makombe said council received $4,5 million dividend from parking revenue generated in the last three months.

Makombe said the money received by his local authority as parking dividend was an indication of a "successful public-private partnership".

Residents, however, said although it was good that council was receiving revenue from the partnership, the local authority needed to tell stakeholders how much it was generating before engaging the private company.

Last year, Gweru City Council partnered with Gweru City Parking Private Limited in rolling out an automated pre-paid parking system to replace the old manual system that had long been condemned by both motorists and residents as open to abuse.