Parkhurst Paid Parking Nets the City a Paltry R269 Per Day

Figures released recently show that Kerbside Paid Parking Scheme has netted the City of Johannesburg a total of R1 089 015.32 during the months of July to November 2012. This represents 25.2% of the income derived from the scheme. Ace Parking Services, the company contracted by the City to run the scheme, earned R3 232 474.03 (74.8%), almost three times as much.

There are three areas in which this scheme operates. Two are in the Central Business District (CBD) areas of downtown Johannesburg and Braamfontein. The third is in a tiny commercial strip located on two sides of 4th Avenue in the primarily residential northern suburb of Parkhurst.

When the three areas are compared, Johannesburg earns 66%, Braamfontein 31%, and tiny Parkhurst only 3% of the income. This equates to a mere R128 133.75 for the 5-month period. The City's earnings are R32 289.

If you break it down even further, Parkhurst only earned the City of Johannesburg an average of R6 458 a month, or R269 a day.

While there is undoubtedly further income to the city from parking fines, the amount collected directly from the scheme clearly shows that this scheme is not suited to a suburban high street environment. It is not sustainable, it does not address the real needs of the community.

The City claims that the scheme is not just about raising money, but is also aimed at alleviating the parking problem in the suburb. However, in the times when this scheme operates, there are very rarely parking problems. The main problems experienced are in the evenings and at weekends when this scheme does not operate.

The City of Johannesburg has realised this fact and has put a halt on rolling out the Kerbside Paid Parking Scheme into other suburbs.

And yet, it remains in Parkhurst, where it continues to punish the residents who live there, the businesses who operate there and the visitors who shop and eat there.

The DA calls for the scheme to be scrapped in Parkhurst, unless it can be immediately adapted to address the real needs of the community.

Statement issued by Tim Truluck, DA Councillor in the City of Johannesburg, March 4 2013

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