Parking marshals fired

Vusumuzi Dube, Online News Editor
TENDY Three Investments (TTI) has since the implementation of the parking management system in Bulawayo, fired eight of its personnel for what they term failure to work within the ambit of set standard operating procedures.

This comes as the company has reportedly intensified training initiatives in public relations and client liaison amid a public outcry on the conduct of their personnel especially their enforcement officers.

Responding to questions from Sunday News Bulawayo City Council’s corporate communications manager Mrs Nesisa Mpofu revealed that to date they had fired seven marshals and one enforcement officer.

“The statistics are that seven marshals and one enforcement officer have been dismissed thus far. The reasons for dismissal vary, but most of them revolve around failure to work within the ambit of set standard operating procedures. The parking management system has multiple controls designed to curb pilferage and marshals are trained on how to work within these controls.

The system reports any anomalies which are tantamount to flouting of controls designed to ensure that the collection process is water tight. For example if a parking marshal does not tag the sensors and does not park cars, all this will be reported leading to disciplinary procedures being initiated,” said Mrs Mpofu.

She revealed that the parking system calculates on its own the expected cash up amount, so at the end of the day a marshal who brings less than what the system states is deemed to be short changing leading to disciplinary measures being instigated.

“The system also has set performance parameters in line with the parking marshal performing their duties. If a marshal arrives late on site, takes longer than normal lunch, does not park or un-park cars and does not tag the sensors in instances where there is no car, all this will reflect in their performance score card leading to disciplinary measures being instigated.

“TTI also has a covert cover team not known to the marshals that is constantly doing surveillance in the area under operation. This team picks up irregularities for example we have had to dismiss a marshal for changing forex before cash-up. It must be noted that the environment has a high degree of cash and hence all the controls that have been implemented,” said the council spokesperson.

She defended the firing of the personnel noting that the parking management industry has a high staff turnover, noting that dismissal was part of the normal exercise designed to rid the system of unruly elements or of people who are not following the standard operating procedures.

Mrs Mpofu said marshals and enforcement officers undergo periodic refresher training on how to conduct themselves, how to address motorists and how to tackle various scenarios they are exposed to in their work environment.