Getting into the Chichiri Shopping Mall is a refreshing experience these days, thanks to the restricted entry to the premises made possible by the recent installation of a fee paying parking system.
In days gone by, securing a parking space at the mall proved to be a formidable challenge, as unrestricted access permitted anyone and everyone to leave their vehicles there for indefinite periods. This predicament w a s p a r t i c u l a r l y pronounced whenever a popular football match took place at the nearby Kamuzu Stadium.
My barber is located within the mall, which is why I make periodic visits there, as I did last Saturday. As usual, I collected a parking card as I drove in, then I went straight to the barbershop. When I was done, I walked to the parking fee payment kiosk located at the entrance to Shoprite. I joined a queue of fee payers, which, thankfully, was moving at a reasonable pace; yes, it was moving so fast that barely three minutes later my fee was paid.
Opposite the kiosk, and in close proximity to it, is the venerated Central Bookshop. True to the Chichewa adage “mfiti sidutsa pamanda (it is not for the wizard to hop over a graveyard)”, I decided to saunter into the bookshop to admire the latest titles on display, especially those by Malawian authors. I spent a bit of time scanning titles by Vera Chirwa, D. D. Phiri, Alfred Msadala, Wilson Chirwa and one or two other Malawian authors, an activity which must have consumed close to ten minutes of my time, by my reckoning.
I hurried back to my vehicle and started off. As I reached the exit point and handed my parking card to the attendant, he could not get the barrier to lift.
“Koma mwalipira, bwana (have you paid, Sir)?”, the attendant asked.
“Of course, I have,” I responded, partly confused and partly embarrassed that I could be regarded as an individual bent on jumping a K300 payment.
A long queue of vehicles was beginning to build up behind me even as my conversation with the attendant progressed. I was more worried about my fellow motorists who I was blocking than about myself. There was not enough physical space around me within which I could turn around to go back to the kiosk to find out what cause of the mini debacle was.
“Imeneyitu yachita expire (your exit permit must have expired),” continued the attendant. “Munayenera kunyamuka n t h a w i y o m w e munalipirayo, chifukwa i m a p e r e ka n t h a w i yosadutsa 20 minitsi (You should have exited immediately after paying, as you are only allowed 20 minutes to linger around after payment)”.
At this point the attendant left to assist the motorists who had begun to queue up at the exit point adjacent to the one I was at. Another attendant came and asked if I could give him K300 for him to rush to the kiosk and make a second payment on my behalf. I obliged, albeit feeling somewhat crestfallen.
Multiple questions raced through my mind as I patiently waited for the attendant to return. Was this kind of scenario foreseen by the planners? If it was, how come no quick alternative was provided for the “trapped” vehicle to get back into the parking lot without inconveniencing other motorists? More importantly, why are motorists not informed of the 20-minute window within which to exit, as they enter the premises?
It is conceivable that this information was conveyed prior to or during the installation of the parking system. Nonetheless, there is no detriment in reiterating the message multiple times to prevent the type of embarrassment I experienced. A placard should have affixed to the kiosk, advising motorists to exit the premises at the earliest opportunity. Furthermore, the parking cards themselves ought to have borne the message both in English and Chichewa.
Moreover, one must pose further questions: why a twenty-minute limit? Is it intended to prevent overcrowding? Is it a measure to thwart potential car smuggling? What connection exists between the twenty-minute exit period and these stated objectives or any others? What outcomes can be achieved or prevented by enforcing a twenty-minute departure window that would not be addressed if vehicles were allowed to remain within the premises longer? Should there not be sufficient physical space to enable vehicles to promptly exit the queue should the barrier fail to lift?
A humble appeal is hereby made to the administrators of Chichiri Shopping Mall to search within the parking system to appreciate its high and low points. This should enable them find out what needs to be adjusted in order to improve the delivery of service to the myriad visitors
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