Illegal parking system scrapped

A new parking meter system used by the Khara Hais municipality (Upington) has been scrapped after two months because it was found to be illegal.

The municipality stopped the system soon after it was investigated by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Prins Olivier from the Northern Cape office of the DPP said on Tuesday.

The system was controversial since its inception about two months ago.

Motorists had to pay marshals upfront to the tune of R1 for 15 minutes, then the marshals would punch the vehicle details into a "parking machine".

While the system as such was not found to be illegal, the DPP found that the municipality had no bylaws in place to regulate the system.

This meant the municipality had no authority to force people to pay or to issue parking tickets under the new system.

Olivier, who investigated the system after residents complained, said the municipality was informed it was illegal to operate the new parking meter system while there were no bylaws to regulate it.

The municipality was asked to immediately suspend it.

Olivier says the municipality's existing by-laws refer to the traditional parking meter system used in many towns.

These bylaws cannot be applied to the new system.

Olivier said no one would be compelled to pay for parking in the town's streets until the new by-laws had been approved by the town council.