A constant reminder to motorists of the needful
* The system was also done to decongest most of the parking spaces as a lot of people would just park probably half of or the whole day
* On specific parking spaces and even places not designated as parking lots leading to congestion in some streets making some places impassable
* Thus the parking for a fee regulating the way people park within the city as it created space for other motorists to utilise
Feature by Chisomo Sumani, MANA
In the depth of the Capital City, Lilongwe, finding a parking spot can sometimes feel like searching for a specific needle in a haystack. Yet, this daily challenge is part of a broader system designed not only to manage the chaos but to also fund crucial improvements that benefit everyone in the community through Electronic Parking (e-parking) system.
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The system, which was implemented in 2023, is aimed at enhancing revenue mobilisation as previously, it was difficult for the fees to be accurately accounted for, since it was easy for officers to collect money without properly recording it in the Lilongwe City Council coffers — leading to significant revenue losses.
City Council public relations officer, Tamara Chafunya said the introduction of e-parking system was also done to decongest most of the parking spaces.
“A lot of people would just park probably half of or the whole day on specific parking spaces and even places not designated as parking lots,” she said, adding that “this led to congestion in some streets making some places impassable”.
Tamara Chafunya
Thus the parking for a fee regulating the way people park within the city as it created space for other motorists to utilise.
The parking fee — which provides chance for motorists to make their payments through their mobile phones either through Mpamba or Airtel Money — also enables them to check their parking fee balances through the same digital means.
Available attendants just capture number plates and it automatically reflects on the screen the amount to be paid and one is able to see an alert when their car is likely to be clamped once they check and discover an outstanding balance.
One of the City Council e-parking attendants, Aliness Zulu said: “After an hour of parking, for those who did not register, K200 is charged on the car. However, those who registered only get to pay a fee of K5,000 per month and only K500 is charged for the whole day.”
Zulu commended the need to register for e-parking payment, especially for motorists doing business, saying: “It is very helpful to register as it only demands K500 per day compared to paying K200 per hour, which is equivalent to K1,800 per day and as such they save.”
Zulu, however, pleads with Malawians to start paying their parking balances for there is a recovery fee after prolonged non-payment and she also emphasised on the need for motorists to change their attitude towards them.
“Despite exercising respect, some motorists — without even listening to what we have to say — rush to shout at us and even threatening to beat us up. We plead with you to adhere [to the bylaws] and not ill-treat us because e-parking is just a substitute of the tickets you used to receive then.”
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Chafunya added that the e-parking is an innovation the public need to embrace, saying it needs a lot of public awareness and civic education as well: “Just as we check out prepaid ESCOM units or airtime on mobile phone, it is the same way we need to adopt the habit of regularly checking our parking fee balances to know how much money we ought to pay to the City Council, as such there will be no need to worry about being clamped as it alerts you.”
Aside from property rates, licensing and other services that enable the city council generate revenue, e-parking stands as another means enabling the Council to undertake as many services that need to be implemented.
Issues of refuse collection, including need for operational vehicles; infrastructure rehabilitation; issues of health; security, provision of street lights; proper facilities in the markets — all that Lilongwe City Council looks into.
Chafunya emphasises that motorists should be well aware of that it they regularly visit the city and need to park on the designated parking spaces to complete their business, they need adhere to the law by checking out and paying their parking fee balances.
“I am sure that if we adhere [to what they system demands], it means we are walking the same talk with the City Council; we need to have a sense of ownership and pride for our city — it’s growth and development.”
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With some of the motorists standing against e-parking system, a large number of people support it and one such, Patricia Namwali, said she is in total support of the development as people no longer abuse parking spaces.
“The fees are painful on our side as motorist, however, it is essential for the development of the nation,” she said. “Despite no longer being delayed by the [manual] tickets we still need customer care and safety assurance and we could be helped and directed on where to park.”
The e-parking system is more than just a solution for parking issues — it is a vital tool for urban development and community improvement in Lilongwe and by supporting it, residents are not just paying for parking, they are investing in the future of their city.
Perhaps the other city councils can emulate the e-system that Lilongwe adopted — with Blantyre City needing to lead the way in supporting what property owners of Chichiri Shopping Centre, ICON Properties and Eris Properties initiated.
It is an e-ticketing system whose mall service customer’s journey starts at the entry — both along Masauko Chipembere Highway or after the Puma Filling Station at the top of the centre.
The customer drives into the mall and upon arrival at the ticketing machine, the system cameras capture the vehicle registration number, which the customer collects a ticket from the ticketing machine.
Upon receipt of the ticket, the barrier automatically goes up to allow the customer to utilise the shopping facility and after they have completed their business at the mall and are ready to leave, the customer will have to settle the parking ticket bill through two options:
* In cash or utilitise a VISA card at the service providers centrally located cashier kiosks at the mall — at the foyer of the main entrance to ShopRite and the food court; and
* Digital platforms — the customer paying using TNM Mpamba or Airtel Money by dialing *4555*02# and following the instructions.
After settling the bill, the customer will be given 20 minutes additional time before exiting the mall. After the bonus 20 minutes, the system will start charging for another cycle.
Upon arrival at the exit terminal, a camera reads the customer’s vehicle registration number and once the system has confirmed that it has settled the bill, the barrier goes up to allow.
In case the camera is unable to read the plate number, the customer gets an option to scan the ticket on the exit ticket machine, which will make the barrier go up and allow them to exit.
If for some reason the customer does not settle the bill and tries to exit, the barrier will not go up and will be requested to park in the defaulter’s parking areas to settle the bill.
Parking fees will apply while the customer’s vehicle is at the defaulters and after the payment, they can proceed to the exit barrier and scan the ticket at the machine — prompting the barrier to open.
The property owners introduced the e-parking management system at the Chichiri Shopping Centre after several challenges of some motorists who parked their to go elsewhere for hours on end — exacerbated during weekends by football fans to watch games at Kamuzu Stadium.
For the rest of Blantyre City’s central business district (CBD), it is all manual and no matter how long a motorists parks, the fee is at K200.
Victoria Avenue before it became one way traffic
For one to find a parking space is a nightmare, as most of them are designated for owners of business places for their staff members — not the customers they are waiting to serve.
Parking spaces from the Old Town Hall and all the way along the Victoria Avenue up to Sunbird Mount Soche Hotel; and down along Sir Glyn Jones Road, are all cordoned off as reserved for business operators staff — not the customers they are intended for.
In the past, where the Reserve Bank of Malawi offices were built, used to be a recreational park as well as an elaborate parking area for motorists, who left their cars there to do various business around the CBD.
Blantyre Market had ample parking space, within the premises and along the road to Mandala, but that space was taken over as terminal stop for commuter minibuses, whose vexatious drivers also park along the main road causing annoying traffic jams.
Haile Selassie Road is also not spared of lack of parking space due to being designated for business operators staff members -$ NICO House being one of them — but just their neighbours, KFC takeaway restaurant, they reserved their spaces to allow for customers of their favourite chicken.
Limbe is just as congested and the main culprits are minibus operators at Kapenga; opposite Illovo Sugar Malawi; at Petroda filling station; at the Limbe Mosque — and that’s just to exclude the total chaos at Limbe Market four way junction to access any of the roads.
The Lilongwe e-ticketing is indeed a system that should be embraced in this modern world of business while at the same time, growth of the urban areas, such as Blantyre City, should be focused on being built outwards — not keeping inside the CBD as is the case.—Additional reporting to this feature by Duncan Mlanjira, Maravi Express
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