Cape Town - The City of Cape Town is pushing ahead with a plan to increase kerbside parking in the CBD to up to R400 a day.
A new parking management plan that it wants council to adopt makes provision for those who want to park for longer hours at higher rates.
The plan is scheduled to be discussed at tomorrow's mayoral committee meeting and if approved by council will come into effect on July 1, 2019 - the start of the 2019/2020 financial year.
The proposal will see motorists who park for under two hours pay no more than at present.
According to the plan “A Centres” for Cape Town have been identified as the CBD, Claremont, Sea Point, Rondebosch, Camps Bay, Tygervalley and Woodstock.
At present, parking for longer than two hours is prohibited and a fine of R450 is payable. The new tariffs would mean motorists would pay just more than R400 for eight hours of kerbside parking, but there would be no fine payable.
Currently, motorists pay about R130 for eight hours.
In areas B, parking for eight hours is charged at just under R100, but there is also a R450 fine payable if you exceed two hours of parking.
The new plan proposes that motorists in areas B pay (less than R50) the same as at present for up to two hours of parking, but pay about R300 for a full day’s parking with no penalty fine.
Areas B are classified as Bellville, Strand, Durbanville, Observatory, Tableview, Parow, Wynberg, Kalk Bay, Somerset West and Muizenberg.
Residential street parking in areas where parking is managed would cost about R50 and less for eight hours, and a resident permit is introduced to ensure that permit holders can park without having to pay a time-based fee.
According to council reports and recommendations, undersigned by Brett Herron, mayoral committee member for urban development and transport, the motive behind the plan is to ease congestion, bring about behavioural change and encourage citizens to use public transport.
It is also aimed at improving turnaround of parking bays to improve availability of bays at reasonable prices, ensuring that less time is spent circling in search of an available parking bay.
The parking plan also suggests that increasing congestion has decreased the economic performance of the city.
“It is estimated that congestion currently costs Cape Town R2.8billion per year,” the report said.
A new contractual cost-based model is where the parking management service provider will collect parking revenue, but will pay the entire amount over to the City on a daily basis.
“The City will pay the service provider a tendered amount per month, adjusted for penalties and incentives. The City plans to award a contract to a single service provider for eight and a half years for this purpose,” the report said.
The City is eager to get the process going as its 2014 parking policy is up for review next year.
“As part of the normal review cycle, the policy is scheduled for review in 2019.”
Bheki Radebe, ANC councillor, said they have refused the high tariffs saying it is driving away people from the city centre.
If council approves the business plan a public participation process will be facilitated regarding policy changes required.
@TheCapeArgus