Parking fees are the archetypical grudge purchase – it’s not like you go to town just to park. So it’s unsurprising that locals grumble when paying to leave their cars in the bays alongside High Street. Lack of information and the occasional rude attendant make it that much worse. But there are some real benefits to consider.
Parking fees are the archetypical grudge purchase – it’s not like you go to town just to park. So it’s unsurprising that locals grumble when paying to leave their cars in the bays alongside High Street. Lack of information and the occasional rude attendant make it that much worse. But there are some real benefits to consider.
Here are the facts: The Makana municipality invited tenders for the management of local parking in 2008. Advanced Parking Solutions (APS) won this right and has been running the system on High and Hill Streets ever since (although a fresh tender is expected soon, which may result in a new incumbent). The municipality sets the fees and other essential requirements, and the designated company employs staff, owns and maintains equipment and runs daily operations. Revenues go to both the local government and the company as per their agreement. Parking marshals earn a basic salary plus commission.
Thabo Dlabantu is the Grahamstown operations manager for APS and outlines the goals of the setup. “For the municipality it obviously generates revenue and regulates the flow of traffic in the CBD,” he explains, “and they also require that we create employment in the area.” Indeed, there are currently around 30 locals employed in the programme.
Dlabantu is also upbeat about the impact these jobs have on employees and the community. “We train our parking marshals to deal with the different situations they encounter out there, and even teach them some business and sales skills,” he says.
Many of them also use the opportunity to open a bank account for the first time in their lives and several have moved on to better and more stable jobs.
“One of our guys even got into Rhodes and is a university graduate today,” says Dlabantu with a hint of pride.
Andise Kepe, 29, a parking marshal for APS on High Street, agrees: “It’s a good job that puts food on the table,” but he is treating it as a stepping stone to brighter things. “I learn every day how to work with people,” he says, “so it’s a way to prepare for a better job.”
But there are problems. Grahamstonians complain about unspecified fees and rude attendants, and Dlabantu confirms cases of motorists refusing to pay and exchanging vulgarities with attendants.
He responds that “fees are R1.15 for every 20 minutes,” and that motorists can obtain this information from marshals when they park. The company does not plan to erect any signs for this purpose. He is also confident that training will continue to improve the sometimes lacking inter-personal skills of marshals.
Dlabantu invites concerned road users to email queries to him at grahamstown.aps@telkomsa.net
