Nairobi MCAs now want private parking fees regulated
Nairobi MCAs now want the county executive to develop a policy to regulate parking charges by private hospitals in the county to avert exploitation by owners of the premises through high parking fees.
The ward representatives claimed that the parking business in some private hospitals and some malls in the capital has now been taken over by cartels who charge exorbitant fees without the interest of patients and the general public accessing the facilities.
In light of this, the MCAs approved a motion aimed at regulating parking charges at the institutions.
Nominated MCA Ann Thumbi, the mover of the motion, argued that the lack of regulations to guide fees levied in private parking spaces in the county has resulted in exorbitant parking fees charged by some private hospitals and malls in the capital.
She observed that recent years have witnessed a marked increase in the number of private hospitals with well-developed parking slots, where patients and other visitors are charged parking fee on entry to the premises seeking for services.
EXORBITANT FEES
“We are concerned that there are no regulations for private parking in the county, which has resulted to exorbitant parking fees in some private hospitals in the county causing stressful situations to patients or visitors who visit a suffering family member,” said Ms Thumbi.
Minority Chief Whip Peter Imwatok claimed that the parking services are run by cartels without the interest of patients in hospitals and malls.
He said that if a good concession time for parking is not put in place other than the usual 30 minutes allowance, it should be scrapped off completely.
“It is important for these hospitals to separate those who want to take advantage of these parking and park the whole day because the hospital is safe. We are losing lives as people are negotiating to get support somewhere because there is no parking lot,” said the Makongeni Ward MCA.
FAULTED THE COUNTY
On her part, nominated MCA Emily Oduor faulted the county government for failing to act on proposals by the Budget and Appropriations committee that had provided the executive with methods of how they can charge these institutions.
Ms Oduor said the issue was brought up in the last year’s Finance Bill and the executive was given a go ahead to charge the mentioned institutions but unfortunately, one year down the line, the executive has not effected the proposals.
“’It was a very big revenue stream that we included in the Bill and decided that they either give the county revenue or they give us free parking,” said Ms Oduor.
Her counterpart June Ndegwa urged the county government to start collecting revenue in the institutions and use the funds in transforming county owned dispensaries and hospitals.