Government engages BCC over TTI

Judith Phiri, Sunday News Reporter

THE Government is stepping in to address growing concerns regarding the conduct of the Bulawayo City Council (BCC) contracted parking management company — Tendy Three Investments (TTI) amid reports of rising discontent among the motoring public.

The intervention by the Government comes in the wake of outrage by the motoring public in Bulawayo over what they call untamed behaviour by TTI marshals who they accuse of being rowdy, lacking basic etiquette and grossly unprofessional in their conduct.

Local Government and Public Works Minister, Daniel Garwe confirmed the Government’s intervention in a recent interview with Sunday News.

“We need to have a stakeholder engagement. This meeting will see private sector players involved in parking management, the local authority (Bulawayo City Council), our Ministry and representatives from residents’ associations,” he said.

“We will look at the issues, interrogate them and proffer solutions before the end of the year,” Minister Garwe said adding that as the parent ministry, they would want a harmonious working relationship between all the stakeholders and not a situation where one part feels harassed and fleeced.

Councillor David Coltart

The criticism directed at TTI has also been reported in Harare where City Parking Private Limited, a subsidiary of the City of Harare has also faced allegations of misconduct.

Recent events in Bulawayo have escalated tensions, particularly following an incident involving a motorist who suffered from diabetes and had his vehicle clamped while he temporarily stopped at a no-parking zone as he was feeling faint and feared he could cause an accident.

The incident triggered an investigation by BCC, with Mayor David Coltart denouncing such behaviour as “unacceptable.”

Clr Coltart and Town Clerk, Mr Christopher Dube recently engaged TTI senior management and discussed the ongoing complaints and challenges in the parking management project.

In a statement after the meeting, Mr Dube said some of the issues discussed were in connection with the behaviour of TTI staff and the turnaround time in handling cases of clamped vehicles driven by the elderly, disabled and people with ill health.

“The Mayor emphasised the need to ensure that the dignity of the motorists and the value of were upheld at all times in the parking management. Emphasis was on the need to ensure that the parking project and the implementation of the by-laws were done in a fair and non-discriminatory manner city-wide.

“The meeting reiterated the need for discipline, continuous training and re-education of parking management staff and instituting disciplinary measures for those who acted out of order,” said Mr Dube.

He said to expedite the response time for all appeals made, BCC and TTI have developed a Complaints and Grievance Handling mechanism for the parking management project.

Mr Christopher Dube

“The development of a clear grievance procedure is key in maintaining a fair and consistent approach to resolving parking management complaints. This will also assist in ensuring that residents, motorists and members of the public have a formal route to voice their concerns and that these are addressed in a structured and legally compliant manner.

“In addition to the grievance mechanism, an independent ombudsman will be appointed to investigate egregious reports and complaints,” reads the statement.

The parking management companies have attracted brickbats from members of the public over their conduct with complaints having surfaced over their treatment of motorists including incidents where individuals were clamped for unpaid tickets as low as US$5.

TTI has responded by dismissing over 200 employees last December due to indiscriminate clamping and violations of company policies while some members of the public have taken the legal route against TTI with several cases resulting in favourable outcomes for the complainants.

Despite previous communications and constructive discussions between TTI and BCC aimed at improving the enforcement of parking by-laws, public discontent continues.

Recent efforts have included the launch of a camera surveillance initiative designed to enhance public safety and optimise parking practices within Bulawayo.

The Government’s intervention, encapsulated in the new clamping and tow-away by-laws approved last November aims to ensure a fair equilibrium between enforcing regulations and maintaining respectful treatment of motorists.

In Harare, City Parking officials have also been embroiled in controversy, facing accusations of collusion with street vagrants to extort money from drivers amid public hearings on the city’s operations.

The upcoming stakeholder meeting is anticipated to be a crucial step toward restoring harmony and trust between TTI, local authorities and the motoring public.