Exorbitant charges may force banks, hotels to abandon reserved parking

BY PATRICK KIBET

Nakuru, KENYA: Hotels, banks and other institutions within Nakuru Central Business District have withdrawn reserved parking after the county government hiked parking fees.

The institutions now pay Sh500 up from Sh160 per day for reserved parking mainly used by clients and employees.

Merica Hotel General Manager George Ochiel said the reserved parking tickets increased by 257 per cent, making it impossible for the facility to sustain the cost of 30 parking slots used mainly by clients.

“Somebody doesn’t know what he is doing within the county government. They don’t care about the other levies, rates and taxes we pay to them. The increase is unjustifiable,” he says.

Mr Ochiel said the hotel has been forced to seek alternative parking for clients and could reduce staff to cater for the extra costs.

The facility now pays Sh500,000 for 30 parking slots to the county government, which translates to Sh16 million annually.

“This amount is way too much for just parking,” said Ochiel.

He laments that the county government wants the hotel and other institutions to pay Sh500 per day yet individuals who park cars at designated areas in town only part with Sh100 a day.

“The county government will lose. After all, other motorists pay Sh100 for normal parking tickets, which is incomparable to the Sh250 we could be paying if the parking fees were revised downwards,” he adds.

Ochiel faulted the county government for failure to consult the affected institutions and warned that this could force companies to move out of the CBD.

“I wrote a letter to the county government over the high rates. The officials are not ready to hear us out and went ahead and implemented the rates,” he notes.

Amend

During a meeting with stakeholders over the County Finance Act, Governor Kinuthia Mbugua urged residents to continue paying the new rates as the county government works on ways to amend the fees.

Joseph Kariuki, the patron of Mololine Services, has also asked the county to revise the reserved parking fees. Mololine operates in the town after they moved out of the congested bus terminal.

Mr Kariuki argues that the new fees for reserved parking will drive many operators out of business.

“Some matatu operators moved out of the main bus park due to congestion and we found business within town viable. However, the new rates for reserved parking tickets and even licences will drive us out of business,” he notes.