Motorists to pay double fees for parking in CBD

The cost of parking a car in the Central Business District will double from Sh200 to Sh400 after Governor Mike Sonko assents to the Nairobi City County Bill, 2019.

The bill was passed by the county assembly on Thursday last week.

The parking charges have been categorised as Zone One (CBD) at Sh400, Zone Two (Parklands Westlands and Upper Hill) at Sh300, Zone Three (commercial centres) at Sh200.

Daily on-street parking rates for lorries have been maintained at Sh1,000 and truck with a trailer at Sh3,000.

Seasonal tickets for private vehicles were increased by 35 per cent.

Currently, motorists pay Sh200 for both on-street parking of small vehicles in and outside the CBD.

While commending City Hall of coming up with measures to raise revenue, County Assembly Finance, Budget and Appropriation Committee chairman Robert Mbatia said parking fees adjustments should have been modest to minimise corruption at the collection level.

Mbatia, at the same time, was concerned by the delay in the implementation of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) to decongest the CBD by giving Nairobians alternative mode of transport.

"As much as we are attempting to decongest the CBD by discouraging motorists to come with their vehicles, what have we done to give them alternative methods of transport?" he asked.

Mbatia said the BRT should have been in place by now.

Nothing has been heard since May this year when the Ministry of Transport announced that the first batch of the buses had arrived in Mombasa.

Insecurity has been a matter of concern in the CBD as cars are either stolen or broken into by cartels operating as parking boys.

Minority leader Elias Otieno asked what the county has done as far as to eliminate cartels in the parking bays and whether the parking revenue collectors have changed their attitude.

"As much as he has increased the parking fees, what has the county done to eliminate cartels at the parking bays? You will be increasing money for them. That is my concern," leader of minority  Elias Otieno said.

Nominated MCA Millicent Jager identified Jeevanjee gardens as the biggest insecurity spot for motorists.

"They park their vehicles and the side mirrors and wipers are stolen. They should put traffic marshals to reassure those who park around there," she said.

Mbatia said the Inspectorate department should secure parking lots.

"We have enough inspectorate officers. It is upon them to ensure that there is security around parking lots so that motorists feel that their cars are safe," he said.

He asked the officers to ensure that only parking attendants and no parking boys are within the parking lots.

Mbatia, who is the Kariobangi MCA, said that revenue might not increase because City Hall does not know the actual number of parking bays.

"Unless we automate all our parking spaces, it is very hard to determine whether we will increase collection in parking streams. All county parking spaces should be marked," he said.

City Hall collected Sh1.8 billion in 2017-2018 from parking against a target of Sh2.5 billion.

Mbatia estimated the 2018-2019 amount to be slightly higher.