City motorists warned against presenting fake parking tickets

Pulbic Service Vehicles (Matatus) blockentrances of various shops along Nairobi's Luthuli Avenue. The traders owning the shops have consistently complained to the County Government of poor business and insecurity but nothing has changed. Photo/Elvis Ogina (Nairobi July 2nd,2016

County Secretary Robert Ayisi has warned that matatu operators found using fake parking tickets will be banned from operating in the city. The administrator also cautioned motorists about extortion by criminals impersonation county officers.

Dr Ayisi said the ban would extend to entire fleets owned by matatu saccos and the city administration would petition the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) to have the vehicle's licenses revoked.

"We are not going to tolerate this from any of the operators. Once we find anyone with a fake receipt for a parking permit, we will have the whole sacco banned," he said in his office.

Ayisi's directive comes a day after 30 matatus and some taxis were impounded for presenting fake banking slips for monthly parking tickets from the county government. Three matatu saccos had allegedly deposited money in Co-operative Bank of Kenya for 500 matatus. However, the county's eJijiPAY system revealed that no money was remitted.

Nairobi City County loses up to Sh20 million in fake parking tickets. It costs at least Sh5,000 for a seasonal parking ticket for a 14-seater matatu.

NO EXCEPTIONS

"Whether you are operating a public service vehicle, personal or even a government vehicle, you must  pay for parking. There are no exceptions," said Ayisi.

He said mapping of designated points for picking and dropping passengers was ongoing. This was expected to bring sanity to matatu operations in the central business district.

The county secretary cautioned motorists about fake city askaris out to extort them, saying five suspects, among them three former county inspectorate officers, had been arrested so far.

The three were dismissed from duty between 2002 and 2013 for allegedly extorting money from motorists from whom they demanded at least Sh2,000.

"Members of the public should be wary of such individuals as they have fake city askari uniforms, fake national ID cards and fake county staff badges," warned Ayisi.

Encounters with fake county officers have been reported at OTC, Industrial Area, Kariokor, Shauri Moyo and Mombasa Road.

"We hope to change our staff uniforms soon so that we have electronic badges, and every department will have its own distinct colour and attire to increase our visibility. The grey uniforms have become too easy to impersonate," said Ayisi.