Fort Portal street parking contractor accused of flouting MoU

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT  | Motorists and Fort Portal municipal council authorities have accused the company contracted to collect street parking fees of flouting the Memorandum of Understanding – MoU.

In August Fort Portal municipal council awarded the street parking tender to Woodfix Technical Services to collect local revenue on the streets of Fort Portal Town.

The company is accused the company of inflating the fees and double charging vehicle owners and failing to sensitize the public about the parking system.

Edwin Businge, a motorist says that staff of the company are forcing vehicle owners to buy parking coupons of 2,000 shillings and refusing the 500 shillings fees per hour.

He also said that the company double-charges motorists for parking on different sides of the street within an hour and those who refuse are made to pay a fine of 5,000 shillings after 48 hours.

Businge also wonders why the contractor charge fees on roads that are not gazetted for parking.

Uthman Sowedi Kiwanuka complained that the policies surrounding street parking are also vague. For example, he argued that some people have been invoiced for stopping their vehicles to receive a phone call which is in accordance with traffic laws.

The Mayor Fort Portal Municipality, Willy Muhanga, tasked the manager of Woodfix Technical Services, Lawrence Kazigo, to sort out the mess in the parking system.

The Speaker Fort Portal Municipal Council Gilbert Kayondo noted that Kazigo’s workers are so stubborn and arrogant. He suggested that if the complaints are not addressed, the contract will be terminated.

Kazigo apologized for all the complaints against the company, saying that at times they have been forced to go against the MoU because collecting street fees is so hard. He promised to change.

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