Parking bay issues irk motorists

MOTORISTS and shop owners in Gwanda urban have lashed out at the municipality for
continuously issuing them with parking fines in the CBD yet there are no clearly spelt out
parking bays.
The issue has been raging for weeks as the Municipality of Gwanda recently started fining
motorists for parking in the CBD. There was no prior announcement or warning.
What has compounded the situation is that several areas are not clearly marked for parking.
This has seen calls for the local authority to improve its services by designating and marking
parking bays and also putting up signs for areas reserved for parking.  
A shop owner operating in the CBD, who spoke on condition of anonymity said she was
surprised to be fined after parking in front of her business premises.
I pay the council for my licence for operating a shop, yet l am not allowed to park my car in
front of my shop? It really complicates my business since some of the times l will be off-
loading stuff for my shop, she complained.
I call on the local authority to get the situation right and mark parking bays
wherever possible so that we know how we operate in the central business district, she said.
A motorist, who only identified himself as Mr. Moyo said council must draw parking lines
and put markings for the areas reserved for parking first, before charging people for parking. 
We are certainly not opposed to paying parking fees, but this should have been done in a
decent manner like in other cities.
“The municipality should first draw parking bays and put parking markings before charging
people for parking. There are no markings that instruct them. This was a hurried decision
meant to just make money, said Moyo.
Acting Chamber Secretary, Nelson Ndlovu, conceded that the markings were not visible
enough.
Markings were there but they faded away. However, council is working on this.
“Shop owners can come to us and pay for the area in front of their shops since it is
municipality space, so that it can be under their ownership, he said.