Maravi

(DAILY MAIL) Review parking levy

Review parking levy
By NANCY MWAPE

THE Lusaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has appealed to the Lusaka City Council to review the parking levy procedure.

LCCI chief executive officer, Gabriel Chingwe, in a statement said the current system where only selected roads in the central business district (CBD) collect the parking levy should be reviewed to capture the whole district without prejudice or discrimination.

Mr Chingwe said currently parking levy was collected mainly from private vehicles, which parked in the CBD. He said other classes of vehicles like Government or parastatal vehicles were not compelled to pay for parking in the CBD.

“We note that public service vehicles pay loading fees which are equivalent to parking levy within the stations that they load from. Hence we propose that the parking levy be collected from all vehicles entering the CBD,” he said.

Mr Chingwe said collection points should be located on all roads entering the CBD citing the three fly-over bridges, Kalambo-Lumumba junction, Mumbwa-Lumumba road junction and the Lumumba-Ben Bella junction.

He said this system would not only decongest the CBD but would also boost the municipality coffers.

He said motorists who are enroute to Lusaka but have nothing to do in the CBD could use other routes.

He said the parking fee could be increased slightly and be paid by all vehicles entering the CBD.

Mr Chingwe cited Britain where former London mayor, Ken Livingstone introduced a bye-law that compelled motorists entering the CBD to pay a toll fee during working hours from 08:00 hours to 17:00 hours.

He said the system has worked very well especially that they now have surveillance cameras installed to capture defaulters who speed away without paying the toll fees.

“We are confident that a complete review of the parking levy system on an equitable basis that is strictly enforced will reduce congestion and also improve the revenue for the local authority,” he said.

Effects to get a comment from the council by press time failed.

Labels: LCC, LCCI, LEVIES, TAXATION

posted by MrK @ 7:11 PM