Your Questions Answered About Paid Parking in Manzini
Paid parking is a critical element for a bustling city such as Manzini. An effective smart parking solution helps ensure availability of parking space for motorists by discouraging all-day parking especially by motorists who park their vehicles on the city’s streets and board public transport to destinations outside the city. It also helps minimize carbon emissions in cities by reducing the need to drive around the city centre in search of parking space. The City of Manzini was introduced to the concept of paid parking way back in 2007. The paid parking system has over the years transitioned from a manual payment system to a digital one. The digitization of the parking programme has, unfortunately, brought about an element of accumulation of unpaid fees; which, according to customer feedback received, causes discomfort to many a motorist. Today’s article seeks to provide the desired clarity in relation to paid parking in the City of Manzini; one of the objectives being to advise motorists on how to avoid accumulation of unpaid fees. Please read on…
QUESTION: What prompted the Municipality to introduce paid parking?
RESPONSE: The Municipality had noted with concern a practice whereby people parked their vehicles on the city streets the whole day and boarded public transport to their destinations outside the city. This resulted in scarcity of parking space for other city visitors. In essence, paid parking was introduced for purposes of increasing parking bay turnover for purposes of ensuring that anyone who requires parking space in the city centre found it.
QUESTION: Umlamuleli Prepaid Parking Card was introduced a few years ago. What benefit does it bring to the whole paid parking experience?
RESPONSE: Umlamuleli is a cashless prepaid parking card that provides an alternative to cash payment in the City of Manzini. It provides a cost-effective solution to the whole paid parking experience in the sense that with it, one is able to pay as little as 42 cents per five minutes parking period as opposed to E2.50 per 30 minutes or part thereof with cash payment. Umlamuleli is available from any of the parking marshals at a cost of E50 per card. It is good for short-time parkers who just want to run a quick errand in town. The card comes with a E50 paid parking credit which the motorist is able to use anywhere and anytime in the paid parking zone (identifiable by a green marking on the parking bay). Therefore, there is no need to carry cash for parking purposes if you have Umlamuleli. Also; the credit on the card does not expire. Umlamuleli also eliminates delays that may result from the need for change.
QUESTION: Vehicles are sometimes spotted clamped. What’s the reason(s)?
RESPONSE: Practices that attract clamping are parking on yellow lines, driveways into properties, pedestrian crossings, parking bays that are reserved for taxis as well as parking on the roadway. Each clamp has a phone number (7698 6010) that motorists can call to have their vehicles unclamped. The release fee is E80. Vehicles that are parked without payment also attract clamping. The release fee is the same.
QUESTION: Is there a special arrangement in place if one wishes to park their vehicle in town the whole day?
RESPONSE: Yes. King Somhlolo Park (formerly referred to as Jubilee Park) parking lot allows for customers to park the whole day at a fee of E15 per day which is payable to the parking marshal.
QUESTION: What causes the accumulation of unpaid fees and how can they be avoided?
RESPONSE: Eswatini Parking keeps a record of every vehicle that parks in the paid parking zone within the city centre. Unpaid bills accumulate when a motorist drives off without paying for the parking space or when they occupy the parking bay beyond the period paid for and neglect to make a top-up payment before driving off. The requirement is that payment be made as soon as the parking bay is occupied. The parking marshals are trained to be as quick as possible when servicing customers. Motorists are requested to exercise patience when the parking marshal is still serving another customer. When the motorist drives off without payment, the vehicle does not get logged off in the system; which results in the accumulation of fees. Motorists are encouraged to regularly check with any of the parking marshals whether or not their vehicle has outstanding fees so that they can settle them before further accumulation. The paid parking period is 8am to 5pm on Monday to Friday (except for public holidays) and 8am to 2pm on Saturdays.
QUESTION: What should the motorist do in the event they dispute the unpaid fees?
RESPONSE: Anyone who disputes the unpaid bill must feel free to contact Eswatini Parking on 7698 6010/info@eswatiniparking.co.sz or visit their offices at shop number 12, Manzini Shopping Mall, Ngwane Street.
…BORDER-2-BORDER CYCLISTS MAKE STOP-OVER IN MANZINI, MAYOR WELCOMES THEM
Close to 100 cyclists who last Saturday took part in the 240km Ngwenya to Lavumisa Border to Border Cycling Tour made a brief stop-over at King Somhlolo Park in the City of Manzini wherein they were welcomed by His Worship the Mayor Quinton Els, Honourable Councillors, Manzini Municipality Chief Executive and management, Manzini Regional Secretary and the Eswatini Tourism Authority. The Mayor encouraged them to be the city’s ambassadors where ever they were. Some of the cyclists were from South Africa. The following photos were taken during the event…
