The payment of the parking fees is collected electronically after the agents registering the parked vehicle numbers and supplying the owner with the control number for payment. PHOTO | ERICKY BONIPHACEBy Bakari Kiango
Dar es Salaam. The Rural and Urban Roads Agency (Tarura) yesterday accused some parking fee collecting agents of colluding with customers to cheat on the payment.
The payment of the parking fees is collected electronically after the agents registering the parked vehicle numbers and supplying the owner with the control number for payment.
However, the Tarura Regional manager for Dar es Salaam, Mr Geofrey Mkinga, said some collectors have been receiving cash and not registering the vehicle numbers in the electronic system.
The parking system charges Sh500 per hour. But, according to Mr Mkinga, the collectors receive small tip like Sh1,000 to allow parking for even a full day.
“We have discovered the dirty game and already are taking action. We have fired some agents because they deny the government revenues,” he said.
The electronic system was re-introduced effective December 1 this year after suspension following hitches. “We know some agents do not like this system because it prevents them from stealing government money,” said Mr Mkinga.
He said Tarura had discovered the existence of such acts, after receiving evidence from good samaritans. He urged Tanzanians to continue cooperating with Tarura to end such acts.
He said Tarura has developed a strategy and formed a team of experts to conduct evaluation of the car parking system in different locations to identify vehicle owners and agents who defy the payment system.
Commenting on the progress of the system since December 1, Mr Mkinga said some citizens have begun to understand it and Tarura continues to provide education on its use.
The managing director of Asceric Limited, which collects the Tarura parking fees, Mr Matthew Nungu, said that there were such malpractices by unfaithful agents.
“We have more than 400 employees, sometimes not all of them are perfect,” he said.
“We have been very strict in this. One of the factors for disqualifying our employee is colluding with customers or neglecting to scan a vehicle in the electronic payment system,” he said, adding that they are working on the complaints.
He said, they have fired more than 10 parking fee collectors after proving that they cheated.
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