Gweru hikes parking hikes fees

GWERU City Council (GCC) has increased its street parking fees from $100 to $120 per hour with effect from January 1, Southern Eye has learnt.

"The notice serves to inform the motoring public that the street parking tariff in Gweru central business district (CBD) has been adjusted from $100 to $120 per hour," read the Gweru City Parking Private Limited statement.

"The adjustments are with effect from January 1, 2022."

Last year, mayor Josiah Makombe said council received $4,5 million dividends from parking revenue generated by the Gweru City Parking Private Limited from July to September 2021.

Makombe said the money received by the local authority as parking dividends was an indication of a "successful public-private partnership" with the company contracted to collect parking fees.

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

Last year, GCC 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.

The previous rate increase was in October last year.