City Hall will use E-payment system or parking metres/CFM-File
Speaking to Capital FM News, he said that residents will be able to transact their businesses and only pay for the time they spend within the town.
“In order to improve the business environment in the CBD, you need to allow short term traffic to access the town centre more and more. Long term traffic is for work but short term traffic is what supports the businesses,” he said.
According to the council, the payment system will either be through E-payment system or parking metres placed strategically within the CBD.
The pilot programme for the E-payment system was introduced a month ago and motorists can pay though their mobile phones using MPesa, Yu-Cash or Airtel Money.
“If you create an hourly charge, then you will increase the traffic coming in. The business will be good and you will also be creating many opportunities for the users.” the Town Clerk stated.
He further pointed out that the proposed parking which is also currently being used in shopping malls and airports will improve traffic management leading to increased turnover of cars in the city.
“You can use it for an hour or a day. The system is there right now to assist us but then again, we need to get its approval first before it is implemented,” he said.
The proposal had been unanimously endorsed by council members.
The areas to be affected are the CBD, downtown Nairobi, Westlands, Industrial Area and Ngara. In these areas classified as Zone 1, motorists will pay Sh30 for up to one hour.
Parking between two and three hours will attract a Sh80 fee and Sh130 for between three and four hours. If a motorists parks four to five hours, he will be required to pay Sh180, five to six hours Sh230, six to seven hours Sh300, seven to nine hours Sh380.
Also to be included in the new rating in areas classified as Zone B will be Nairobi West, South B and C shopping centres where parking for up to two hours will cost motorists Sh50, up to four hours will be Sh70 while the whole day will cost Sh100.
This is the latest attempt by City Hall to raise parking fees, after an earlier proposal to peg it on a standard Sh300 flopped.
A court quashed the October 15, 2010 Gazette notice which purported to increase parking fees from Sh140 to Sh300 per day, saying that the charges breached guidelines in the Traffic Act on how the council should levy parking fees.
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