Motorists plan to slam brakes on new parking fees
A parking attendant issues a ticket to a motorist in Nairobi.
What you need to know:
- They threatened to boycott paying the fees, which come into effect on Saturday, until more consultations were held.
- The chairman Mr Stephen Muli said that they are not going to pay the new parking fees as stated by the county government as there was no consultation before setting the new charges.
- A notice issued by County Secretary Joseph Motari says owners of small vehicles in Nakuru town would part with Sh100, up from Sh80.
Motorists in Nakuru have complained against new parking levies introduced by the county government to boost revenue.
They threatened to boycott paying the fees, which come into effect on Saturday, until more consultations were held.
Participants at a meeting called by the Central Rift Public Service Vehicles Transporters cooperative society which was attended by taxi, matatu, tuk tuk and boda boda operators, demanded that the levies be suspended until a consensus was reached.
A spokesman for the group, Mr David Karanja, accused Governor Kinuthia Mbugua’s administration of not considering their concerns when setting the fees.
A notice issued by County Secretary Joseph Motari says owners of small vehicles in Nakuru town would part with Sh100, up from Sh80.
Those in Naivasha will pay Sh80, up from Sh50 while in Molo and other towns the charges were increased from Sh30 to Sh50.
Lorry and bus operators who have been paying Sh160 will be required to part with Sh300 in Nakuru town while in Naivasha and Molo towns, the rates will be Sh200 and Sh150, respectively.
Parking canters in Nakuru town will now cost one Sh200, Naivasha Sh150 while Molo and other towns Sh100.
Monthly Street parking fees for lorries and buses, the category under which the PSV fall, in Nakuru town, will cost owners Sh1, 500 more.
The County government has increased the rates from Sh4, 500 to Sh6, 000.
For small vehicles in the same town, acquisition of the monthly parking receipt will come by with the payment of Sh2, 350 up from Sh1, 500.
For canters, it has been adjusted upwards to Sh4, 700 from Sh2, 500 a month.
The chairman Mr Stephen Muli said that they are not going to pay the new parking fees as stated by the county government as there was no consultation before setting the new charges.
They want t have a representative in the county government’s board through which they will take part in decision making and airing their problems.
They also blamed congestion of the town to the poor planning ot the town by the county government to the hawkers.
“We want a universal fee for the whole county as it should remain the same in any town within the county,” he said.
