Its Official, Makerere University has now started charging parking fees for cars entering the university. This comes after a prolonged period of testing and demonstration to users were showed how to use the automated card system last year and the machines were dormant for about months this year.
But effective last week, Makerere University has deployed security personnel at all the major car entrances that ensure that every car that belongs to non-students gets a card and pays a a hourly parking fee of 1000/- on exit. Trucks and buses are required to pay 1,500/- and 1000/- per extra hour.
This will however not affect students as they are required to flash their University I.D as of today but the management states that soon only students who have registered their cars at the senate will be allowed to park free of charge.
Each student is allowed to register a maximum of two cars and must present copies of the log book which must be in the student’s name which means the kids who borrow their parent’s cars should expect to add parking fees to their expense lists.
The Parking system is not yet mature considering that it should work automatically and users should pay for their tickets at the yellow painted booths around campus and the gates should allow on exit just like the parking system at the Entebbe airport and Acacia Mall. The idea was proposed by the university management as a source of revenue generation for the financially troubled institution and Kenya Airport Parking Services (KAPS) was the main contractor.
This new development has let to increase traffic jam around the car gates of Makerere University since cars have to quene up to pay on entrance and exit. You will notice fewer cars in some parking lots that used to be full but the measure seems to be less effective during night hours as of reporting.
Please feel free to let us know what you think of this development.
