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Car owners, contractor clash over street parking
Protest. Cars parked on Lugadi Street in Fort Portal Town on Wednesday. Car owners are protesting against ‘unfair’ charges by M/s Global World Engineering Ltd, a company that was awarded a tender to manage street parking in Fort Portal. PHOTO BY ALEX ASHABA
What you need to know:
- On Monday, gunfire rocked Fort Portal Town as police dispersed residents who had blocked the contractor from towing a car on Kaboyo Street.
- The manager of M/s Global World Engineering Ltd in Fort Portal, Mr Joseph Kiiza, denied the allegations.
Street parking charges were introduced in many towns in Uganda as a source of revenue for urban councils and also to create orderly parking.
However, in Fort Portal, the car owners have clashed with the contractor, M/s Global World Engineering Ltd, over unfair charges.
The development has forced some motorists to withdraw their cars from the streets.
Mr Andrew Mugisa Katuramu, a shop attendant on Balya Road, says: “It is now three weeks since some traders and I stopped parking on the streets. The contractor is cheating car owners by illegally charging them Shs40,000 for a defaulted day instead of Shs4,000, which is the official council rate,” Mr Katuramu said.
Mr Aladi Abudala, another car owner, says: “At times when you pay parking fees, the street parking staff don’t issue receipts and they take them back to their office or after putting an invoice on your car, they disappear and end up clamping your car later.”
Contract
In the financial year 2017/18, Fort Portal municipal council awarded the street parking tender to M/s Global World Engineering Ltd to collect local revenue on the streets of Fort Portal Town whose contract ends on June 30.
According to the Memorandum of Understanding, it was agreed that the car owner pays Shs400 for every hour parked starting from 8am to 6pm.
It was also agreed that in case the car owner defaults, the tenderer should give a demand notice of seven days reminding them to clear.
However, according to the Fort Portal law enforcement officer, Mr Rogers Mulindwa, the contractor has not been following the guidelines.
“It’s the work of the urban authority to collect debts and fines in case one fails to clear his or her debt obligations but not the tenderer,” says Mr Mulindwa.
On Monday, gunfire rocked Fort Portal Town as police dispersed residents who had blocked the contractor from towing a car on Kaboyo Street.
Mr Mathias Muhumuza, a businessman, had his car clamped by M/s Global World Engineering Ltd employees over nonpayment after his monthly sticker expired on April 24.
When contacted, the manager of M/s Global World Engineering Ltd in Fort Portal, Mr Joseph Kiiza, denied the allegations.
“He defaulted. We served him a demand note but he did not respond in time,” Kiiza said.
The deputy town clerk, Mr Bosco Rusoke, said the municipal council was working towards bringing harmony in the town. He said council will ensure that the contractor does not over charge people.
