By Chisomo Sumani:
In the depth of Lilongwe city, finding a parking spot can sometimes feel like searching for hay in a haystack.
Yet, this daily challenge is part of a broader system designed not only to manage the chaos but to also fund crucial improvements that benefit everyone in the community through the Electronic Parking (e-parking) System.
The system, which was implemented in 2023, is there to enhance revenue mobilisation. Previously, it was difficult for the fees to be accurately accounted for, as it was easy for accounts to collect money without properly recording it in the Lilongwe City Council (LCC) coffers, leading to significant revenue losses.
City council public relations officer Tamara Chafunya said the introduction of an e-parking system was also done to decongest most of the parking spaces.
“A lot of people would just park, for probably half of or the whole day on specific parking spaces and even places not designated as parking lots.
This led to congestion in some streets making some places impassable,” Chafunya said.
One of the city council e-parking workers Aliness Zulu said: “After an hour of parking for those who did not register, K200 is charged on the car. However, those who registered only get to pay a fee of K5,000 per month and only K500 is charged for the whole day.”
One of the car owners, Patricia Namwali, said she is in total support of the development as people no longer abuse parking spaces.
“The fees are painful on our side, as motorists. However, it is essential for the development of the nation.
Despite no longer being delayed by the tickets, we still need customer care and safety assurance and we could be helped and directed on where to park,” she said.
The e-parking system is more than just a solution for parking issues; it is a vital tool for urban development and community improvement in Lilongwe.—Mana
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