Nairobi earns Sh200,000 daily from clamping cars

Parking revenue in Nairobi County has gone up by an average of Sh200,000 a day after clamping of fee defaulters was reintroduced last week.

Parking Services Director Fredrick Ndunyu yesterday said the clamping of vehicles of offenders was aimed at sealing loopholes in revenue collection and consequently ensure quality service provision.

“We are targeting to net more than Sh2 million a day in the exercise because a lot of money is lost through parking yet the public expects services from us,” he said.

He said this month alone, parking revenue collections had jumped and was leading other revenue streams at 88 per cent of target, followed by land rates and market collections at 86 per cent, rental houses at 75 per cent, single business permits at 60 per cent and billboards at 40 per cent.

The chairman of the revenue enforcement team, John Ntoiti, said over 60 vehicles were impounded by county authorities for failure to pay parking fees.

He cited indiscipline and impunity among motorists as a major hindrance in service provision to city residents.

Paying in advance

The officials explained that most motorists drive into town early and park their cars near their offices to avoid paying for parking. It is only after they are confronted by the parking attendants that they comply, they said, adding that there was also the issue of collusion with parking boys who stake out for county askaris at a fee. It is only after the enforcement officials are spotted that the motorists rush to pay via mobile phones, they added.

County Secretary Robert Ayisi had last year announced plans to de-congest the city and drive parking revenue up by allowing for motorists to pay for their rates in advance. He said that City Hall would map out drop off and pick up points. Additionally, the county is contemplating introducing a security compliance certificate backed by the national government and enforced by the city administration. On the issue of parking boys, he said that they would be rounded up and taken out of the streets and into rehabilitation centres.

“This will have to be done in order to achieve our tax obligations. Nairobi residents want service provision and that can only happen when we are able to collect enough funds,” he said.

In the first nine months of 2016, the capital earned Sh1.6 billion from parking fees against a Sh3.4 billion target.

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Nairobi County