Motorists bemoan rampant car clamping

MOTORISTS are up in arms over Tendy Three Investments (TTI)'s management of parking in Bulawayo's central business district.

Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association chairperson Ambrose Sibindi said TTI was unnecessarily clamping cars, instilling fear in motorists.

"The city parking management system that is being implemented by TTI has its disadvantages and advantages. As residents we have been witnessing rampant clamping of vehicles by guys who pretend to be the macho men of the city.

"A lot of cars are being clamped unnecessarily; and motorists are told that they would have parked in undesignated points. It seems they are targeting residents to instil fear in them so that they park their vehicles out of town.

"The 30:70 sharing ratio between the Bulawayo City Council (BCC) and TTI, respectively, might not be enough to bring development in the city. As residents we think BCC should commercialise its security department rather than outsourcing the service," Sibindi said.

The contract between BCC and TTI states that the former will get 30% of parking revenue during the project period to allow the city to fund its road rehabilitation programme.

Sibindi also said the US$1 per hour parking fee was expensive for struggling citizens of the city.

"As residents we advocate that parking contracts should be given to local companies. We should desist from depending on external people," Sibindi said, adding that some positive things about the parking management system were that it had decongested the CBD and created employment to the youths. BCC senior spokesperson Nesisa Mpofu said those motorists whose cars were clamped would have violated city by-laws.

Mpofu said: "Our investigations have not revealed any unnecessary clamping of vehicles. Those who have been clamped would have breached the law. The City of Bulawayo is also working on marking roads so that road signs are visible throughout the city to avoid breaches.

"The City of Bulawayo does not have financial resources to set up the system, and the expertise to carry out such a project. After the contract with TTI expires, council will be in a position to manage the parking system on its own."

She said TTI was responsible for clamping, towing and impounding vehicles that would have breached the law.

"On the parking time (bay) revenue, one of the major conditions, is that TTI will upgrade its systems at the beginning of the project. At the end of year three, it will re-invest so that the system can be automated before handing over the whole project to council," Mpofu explained.

"The duties of the enforcement team and jurisdiction are outlined in SI 63/2015 BCC (clamping and tow away). The contract between BCC and TTI entails clamping vehicles parked in contravention of the City of Bulawayo clamping and tow away by-laws," she added.

The project, which started in 2021, will run until 2027, and is said to have created 500 jobs for Bulawayo youths.