Nairobi MCAs have called on governor Mike Sonko to rethink his proposal on the fee charged for parking within the county.
Led by Nominated MCA Mbugua Kabiro, the legislators asked Sonko to consider introducing an hourly rate for parking rather than the fixed daily charge.
The legislators claimed that the move would help shield motorists against the effects of the increased parking fees.
Ward representatives had passed the Nairobi County Finance Bill, 2019, which gave Sonko's government the green light to double the daily fees from Ksh200 to Ksh 400 and also increase seasonal parking fee.
The bill also stated that in areas outside the CBD, motorists would have to pay between Ksh200 and Ksh300 daily.
Kabiro claimed that the spreading of the fees would allow traders to do business without being drained by parking fees.
“In future, I wish we get hourly ratings for parking because some of us come to town for a very short period. You pay Ksh400 yet you would have paid Ksh100 or Ksh50 at private parking for the same,” stated Kabiro.
Roysambu MCA Peter Warutere concurred with Kabiro noting that the county should consider having parking metres at strategic points and charges levied on the span of time one would take at a specific parking spot.
Minority leader Elias Otieno implored that this would also help in eliminating parking cartels such as parking boys running the parking business.
“As much as we have increased the parking fee, what have been done to eliminate cartels at the parking bays? We will be increasing money for them,” claimed the Kileleshwa MCA.
