BY DAVID CHIKOKO
Motorists in Arusha city will no longer be required to pay parking fees after 1:00pm on Saturdays while parking charges are prohibited throughout Sundays and public holidays following a a clarification issued by the Arusha City Council (ACC).
The directive comes amid complaints that some parking fee collectors had continued charging motorists on Saturday afternoons and Sundays despite regulations limiting the collection hours.
Under Government Notice No. 799 of 2021, parking fees can be collected between 6:00am and 6:00pm from Monday to Friday. On Saturdays, collection is permitted only between 6:00am and 1:00pm while Sundays and public holidays are exempted.
The council’s intervention is expected to bring relief to motorists who have complained about being approached for payment outside the prescribed hours.
Parking charges have previously generated complaints from motorists over collection practices, including disputed bills and charges. Public concerns over the parking system have also centred on motorists being billed without adequate information on when and where the charges were incurred.
The latest clarification now gives motorists a clear basis to reject demands for parking payments made after 1:00pm on Saturdays or at any time on Sundays and public holidays.
The regulations also provide that a motorist becomes liable for a parking fee after a vehicle has remained in a designated parking area for more than five minutes.
Motorists have called for the directive to be strictly enforced and for parking attendants to be properly informed to prevent continued collection outside the authorised hours.
