Johannesburg - The City of Johannesburg has explained that the paid parking scheme being rolled out to some areas of the city is a primary municipal management strategy aimed at ensuring proper traffic flow and the reduction of illegal parking and other parking problems.
Spokesperson for the city, Gabu Tugwana, said during a media briefing on Wednesday, that the city had always had paid parking in business nodes with parking meters and meter wardens, but the old system was phased out because it was expensive to maintain due to vandalism, theft and the change of currency.
The new 'modern' system, he said, comes with added benefits and that if well managed would encourage more visitors to these areas.
The system is already running in Braamfontein and the Johannesburg CBD as well as Parkhurst.
The municipality plans to roll out the system to Norwood, Melville, Brixton, Emmarentia, Rosebank, Roodepoort, Birnam, Parkview, Sandton, Florida, Fordsburg, Greenside, Linden, Rivonia, Craighall Park and Northcliff on 1 June.
Motorists will pay R8 an hour for the first month and then it would increase to R8.50 by July 1.
However, businesses in the affected areas have raised concerns that the introduction of the parking system will drive away customers.
Tugwana explained that in Braamfontein businesses had reported an increase in trade because people who parked in the streets now had to pay for their parking and were less inclined to park their cars in one spot all day. With the new parking, they had to pay only for every hour they were parked there.
Responding to questions on how the city had selected the suburbs for implementation of the system, JMPD Chief of Police Chris Ngcobo said surveys had been done in areas which have high incidents of motorists who park illegally.
The City's legal advisor Pieter De Klerk said that all legal processes with regard to the awarding of the tender to Ace Parking were followed.
Regarding reports that Ace Parking had breached its contract with the JMPD by subcontracting services to another service provider without properly informing the city, Tugwana said the city was looking at how it would remedy the breach and further investigations would take place if necessary.
De Klerk said that public consultation on the matter was done and that Ward Councillors were regularly briefed at council meetings on the city's plans. He added that it is responsibility of Ward Councillors to inform residents of the city's plans to rollout schemes like these.
However, Tugwana promised that the city would "dramatically increase" community engagement to look at how best it can benefit all stakeholders.
"The city is inviting residents to assist in making the system work rather than view it as a punitive measure or disruption of business."
He added that although legal obligation was met to establish this system, view of the public can still be taken into account and integrated.
