Innocent Ruwende Municipal Reporter
EasiPark Harare’s on-street parking marshals could be pocketing thousands of dollars from motorists as they are allegedly using a receipting system prone to manipulation.
The meter system was installed by Easi Hold of South Africa. EasiPark Harare used to rake in between US$220 000 and US$260 000 per month at the peak of its operations. However, it is no longer clear how much is collected because the city’s South African former partners in the parking business — EasiHold — did not upgrade the system as the relationship soured. The city has been using receipt books, which have little accountability.
Further, the two ex-partners accused each other of banking proceeds in separate accounts hence the value of total collections is murky.
In a statement on Tuesday, Harare City’s corporate communications division said: “We realise that the parking system installed by EasiHold has collapsed and marshals are using a receipt book- based system that is porous and subject to manipulation.
“It is obvious that when you resort to the manual system there are losses. We, however, can not quantify the losses now. Remember, EasiPark is a private company. Detailed issues of the company, including financial matters are, therefore, the responsibility of the two shareholders.”
The division said Harare was in talks with Park Rite “for a foolproof parking system on a go-it-alone basis”.
Park Rite had proposed a joint venture with the city and the latest full council minutes indicate that councillors took note of the proposal and were discussing it, but with the aim of having the company supplying equipment and installing it.
Park Rite (Pvt) Ltd, a company owned by Israelis and Zimbabweans, made a presentation to council seeking a joint venture project for the supply, installation, management and maintenance of parking meter system.
Council’s business committee chairperson Councillor Herbert Gomba last week expressed his support for the Park Rite deal because the company would supply state-of-the-art technology, including online communications with electronic meters using GPRS and the mobile phone network, allowing real-time reporting of every transaction.
He said the city stood to get up to US$300 000 monthly from royalties if the company clinched deals in Mozambique and Botswana.
EasiPark Harare’s on-street parking marshals could be pocketing thousands of dollars from motorists as they are allegedly using a receipting system prone to manipulation.
The meter system was installed by Easi Hold of South Africa. EasiPark Harare used to rake in between US$220 000 and US$260 000 per month at the peak of its operations. However, it is no longer clear how much is collected because the city’s South African former partners in the parking business — EasiHold — did not upgrade the system as the relationship soured. The city has been using receipt books, which have little accountability.
Further, the two ex-partners accused each other of banking proceeds in separate accounts hence the value of total collections is murky.
In a statement on Tuesday, Harare City’s corporate communications division said: “We realise that the parking system installed by EasiHold has collapsed and marshals are using a receipt book- based system that is porous and subject to manipulation.
“It is obvious that when you resort to the manual system there are losses. We, however, can not quantify the losses now. Remember, EasiPark is a private company. Detailed issues of the company, including financial matters are, therefore, the responsibility of the two shareholders.”
The division said Harare was in talks with Park Rite “for a foolproof parking system on a go-it-alone basis”.
Park Rite had proposed a joint venture with the city and the latest full council minutes indicate that councillors took note of the proposal and were discussing it, but with the aim of having the company supplying equipment and installing it.
Park Rite (Pvt) Ltd, a company owned by Israelis and Zimbabweans, made a presentation to council seeking a joint venture project for the supply, installation, management and maintenance of parking meter system.
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| City losing revenue to parking marshals |
He said the city stood to get up to US$300 000 monthly from royalties if the company clinched deals in Mozambique and Botswana.
