Mombasa government marks a major milestone today as the county launches electronic vehicle parking (e-parking) to boost revenue collection. In the last financial year the county collected Sh3.1 billion in revenue but now seeks Sh3.9 billion this financial year. This is the start of a journey that will see the Governor Hassan Joho-led administration digitise services in all its 10 departments.
Finance executive Mariam Mbaruk said the automation of parking fees collection will promote efficiency and stanch revenue leaks. She said following the full automation of parking fees services, Mombasa County citizens will no longer be required to make cash payments for parking fees. Instead, they will just do so at the touch of a button on their mobile phones. They will no longer have to display parking fee tickets on their windscreens. Ms Mbaruk explained the procedure: “If you come to town and park without paying, the enforcers will have a gadget that will identify your number plate. “So, if you have already been registered with the county, the enforcers will know that you did not pay that day. Then you will receive an SMS on your phone informing you that your car has been clamped,” she added.
The e-parking services, the first of its kind in the coastal region, targets an estimated 6,000 vehicles that use car parks in the central business (CBD) district daily. Ms Mbaruk said the automation journey started in 2014, targeting the five main revenue generating streams. “We want to automate all our revenue generating streams for the county to go cashless. “We want the revenue streams to integrate so that systems can communicate with one another; e-parking is the first solution. We are doing it through a USSD from Safaricom. You only need to type *282#. With time we want to incorporate other providers,” she said.
Payments will be made daily as the county explores more options. The step has received approval from stakeholders. Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry Mombasa Chapter chairperson Rukiya Rashid said the move will end revenue loss. “There has been loss of revenue because some of the money collected ended up in some people’s pockets. “We know of cases where people have compromised the parking attendants, and that has been affecting the revenue collection. But with this new system, we are bound to see many changes,” she said.
Car Importers Association of Kenya National chairman Peter Otieno also welcomed the action, saying that both the county and the people will gain. “The launch of this programme is an achievement. It is more convenient. And the clamping of vehicles will be a thing of the past,” he said. The county’s communications director Richard Chacha allayed fears of an increase in parking fees from the current Sh100. “It will remain the same. What we intend to do is to make it easy to pay. Instead of looking for an attendant, you just use your phone to pay. “The attendant will come and check the number plate of your car and verify through the system whether you have paid,” Mr Chacha said.