The Sunday News
Vusumuzi Dube, Online News Editor
THE Bulawayo City Council (BCC) was on Tuesday forced to backtrack on parking fees which they had implemented after a public outcry over the astronomical fees.
The local authority last year entered into a partnership with Tendy Three Investments (TTI) for the implementation of a parking management system in the Central Business District.
The company won the bid in July 2020 and got the greenlight from Cabinet for them to start operations in August last year after the council had submitted their papers to the Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency (Zida).
The partnership will run for a period of six years.
However, on Tuesday residents woke up to TTI parking marshals in some parts of the city where they were they informed motorists that those intending to park for 30 minutes will have to fork out US$1, one hour; US$2, two hours; US$4 while those intending to park for the entire day will have to fork out US$16.
This was met by immediate outcry from residents, who then took to social media to question these high prices, with some noting that if one is employed in the CBD where they have to park their vehicles they will have to fork out US$320 for the 20 working days a month.
BCC later took to their Twitter account where they seemingly backtracked from what the TTI parking marshals had announced and gave a charge sheet with marginally reduced prices, claiming that they were going to be three different parking zones, which would have their own charges.
The local authority further said businesses had the prerogative of providing parking for their employees, using their basements.
“Parking is classified into different zones which have different tariffs; Zone one will charge US$1 for 30 minutes, which will be the prime parking, Zone two (ordinary parking) will charge US$1 for one hour while Zone three (low demand parking) will charge US$1 for two hours.
“Business organisations are supposed to provide parking (usually in basements) for their employees. The parking bays are for their customers,” said the local authority.
The local authority was however mum on the said zonings within the CBD.
