The parking attendant or car guard system has been operating in Grahamstown for a couple of years now after replacing the parking meter system.
The parking attendant or car guard system has been operating in Grahamstown for a couple of years now after replacing the parking meter system.
However, when motorists pay the guards, what exactly are they paying for and whom are they paying? According to Thabo Dlabantu, Operations Manager at Advanced Parking Solutions (APS), motorists pay for parking with the added benefit of someone watching over their vehicle while they go about their business.
Dlabantu said that this system has been beneficial in terms of creating employment for Grahamstown people as well as providing motorists with a sense of security, because there are guards positioned in specific areas around town during business hours.
The parking attendants use the Smart Parking Meter system designed for people to pay upfront. The tariffs are R3.45 for the first hour; R2.30 for the first 40 minutes and R1.15 for the first 15 minutes.
They have recently introduced a smart card system where motorists can load money onto the card and use the card to pay for their parking.
The arrangement is bound by a contract between APS Head Office in Cape Town, the operating company and the municipality. APS is responsible for the parking attendants while the traffic department is responsible for enforcing the law and dealing with people who refuse to pay their parking fees.
Dlabantu said that when he receives the money from the parking attendants, he counts it and deposits in the head office’s bank account. The head office then issues the payments according to who gets which amount.
Parking attendants including Dlabantu then receive their salaries via their bank accounts and a payslip that shows the basic salary and the commission earned for the month.
Dlabantu said that the parking attendants receive 27.5% of their monthly turnover as well as basic wages of R450 a month.
One car guard says that it depends on where you are positioned, but on average they receive R200 per month on top of the basic wages.
Coenraad Hanekom, Traffic Chief in Makana said that the municipality receives only 5% of the monthly turnover from APS and the rest is split between the parking attendants, the operating company and the APS Head Office.
