|
|
PAKANI (cont.)
People do not
easily adjust to change by their very nature and it is even
more difficult when that change requires that they fork out
money,” he says.
The good news
is that 10 months down the line people have started to embrace
the concept – thanks to an extensive educational campaign
conducted by both the Municipal Council of Manzini and PAKANI
through the media.
“The only
thing we are battling with now is that some people want to
park and pay on their return, something which on-street pay
parking does not permit. The reason is that, unlike off-street
parking such as the one that exists at the hub, this kind of
parking does not provide exit points equipped with boom gates.
Therefore, to allow people to pay on their return would make
the operation uncontrollable and difficult,” he states.
A nother
challenge PAKANI is faced with is that some people
think that by paying they are doing the attendant a favour –
some kind of a tip – yet the fees were approved by Parliament
and subsequently gazetted.
Despite the
publicity campaign that has been done, some
people still claim not to be aware of the operation.
Moreover,
every entry and exit point of the pay parking
zone has traffic signs alerting motorists that they would be
required to pay.
HOW PAKANI
OPERATES
There are about 35 attendants who wear reflective vests
written PAKANI for visibility purposes. The attendants also
have identity cards for authenticity purposes. At a given time
the motorist can only buy tickets for either E2.50 or E5 for
one hour and two hours, respectively. Before alighting
from the vehicle in a designated street (identifiable by a
green road marking), the motorist must buy the ticket and
display it in a visible spot on the dashboard of the vehicle.
…AND THE
PENALTIES INVOLVED?
O nce the purchased time elapses a E70 penalty is effected and
must be paid on the spot. Motorists are advised to buy more
parking space in the event they realize they will be delayed.
Failure to comply in anyway results in clamping of the
vehicle, which also attracts a E70 penalty.
“We clamp if
the motorist failed to pay when parking; when the time bought
has elapsed; if the ticket has not been visibly placed for our
inspectors to see it; or any violation committed. Sometimes we
work together with national police to clamp vehicles that are
parked in undesignated zones such as yellow lines, pavements,
loading zones etc,” Dlamini says.
If it happens that the motorist fails to pay for the release of a vehicle
by 7pm the same day it was clamped it is towed away.
“The motorist
would then have to pay E350 towing fee, E70 storage fee per
day as well as the E70 clamping fee,” he explains.
S ince inception, the operation has seen hundreds
of vehicles clamped and many others towed away.
“Therefore,
it is better to act intelligently by fully cooperating to
avoid the penalties. Better pay the E2.50 than fail to
cooperate and end up paying E70 or more,” he concludes
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
