Motorists bemoan lack of parking space in Blantyre
Some motorists have expressed concern over the lack of parking spaces in Blantyre and Limbe which forces many people to park in undesignated roadsides, thereby blocking or narrowing the roads.
Spot checks by Malawi News Agency (Mana) around Blantyre and Limbe established that some motorists are forced to park along the roadsides which in turn narrows the roads, making it difficult for vehicles going into opposite directions to pass each other or causing traffic congestion.
In Blantyre, the stretch of Glyn Jones Road between Sunbird Mount Soche and Standard Bank has clearly designated ‘No Parking’ signs, but the council’s traffic warders are seen collection parking fees from motorists, thereby legalising illegal parking.
Still in Blantyre central business district (CBD), most of the parking spaces have been leased out to corporate, notably financial institutions and Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom), leaving out in the cold other motorists.
During checks in Limbe, motorists were also seen freely parking in undesignated places, especially along the newly rehabilitated Livingstone Avenue, thereby narrowing the purported dual carriage road into a single lane at some points.
When the designated parking spaces and the roadsides are fully parked, vehicle owners are being forced to park in shops’s parking areas such as at Chichiri Shopping Mall as well as Metro-Peoples Stores.
One of the motorists, Chris Mbewe blamed the city’s planning saying it does not give enough room for expansion hence the problem of the parking space.
He said owners of buildings around town are to blame as well for not creating basement parking space during their planning as well.
“Normally, these office buildings were supposed to have underground parking space meant for the staff of the companies to be accommodated in it.
“As it is now, most parking spaces around Blantyre are taken up by members of staff of various companies who park for long hours making it impossible for customers or clients to find parking space,” said Mbewe.
Blantyre City Council Public Relations Manager, Anthony Kasunda admitted that the council is aware of the growing number of vehicles in the City and the pressure it is exerting on the available parking spaces.
Kasunda said the council is exploring Public Private Partnerships to construct multi storey parking lots adding that the short term measure is to make sure that motorists manage the parking space available in the City.
However Kasunda said: “The Council will not entertain parking of vehicles in undesignated places. Let us all observe right parking and always remember to give others a chance.”–Mana
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Parking management enforcement is very poor in Blantyre. The city has parking bays that are not being fully enforced or are being used for free. The private partnership should also look at ways of enforcing traffic movement, management and enforcement. Those that dont adhere to bylaws should be heavily fined and this should include impounding vehicles and owners again heavily fined. It happens in Lusaka, Johannesburg, Durban, and Harare that is what modern metropolis do. You cannot imagine that around the old Nandos complex in town we have a used vehicle market and yet authorities do nothing about it. How… Read more »
not only in Blantyre, here is Lilongwe we have to wait for a car to leave the Lilongwe Central Market to get a paid parking spot… Mind you this car park was created when the city had very few cars…. even the market is very small for the current population in Lilongwe… it seems our town planners have been caught slumbering
Blantyre was designed to accommodate not more than 500 cars at the time and nothing has been done to expand the city to accommodate the influx of dumping from Japan. The city could introduce control measures like : Introduction of buses for the working class only to use to go to work than by cars. Construct parking in the outskirts of the city and encourage people to use only designated taxis allowed in the inner city. Issue permits to allow number of cars to enter the city. Long term: Expand the city by relocating critical amenities away from the congested… Read more »
You haven’t mentioned about pedestrians. They walk and cross roads everywhere and anyhow. Now they are using car ways like they are magalimoto. There is chipwirikiti in Limbe. Now Kapenga in Limbe is a nightmare…minibuses own that piece of road.City council are lying… they are doing nothing to sort out this mess. Cry My Beloved Malawi. Thinking of relocating to Zambia
Btz central roads is exactly London type. The difference is that London has vry good public transport that many pipo never get their cars into twn. We contonue buying cars and even with more roads & car parks, that wont work in the coming 10 yrs. Unless we were talking of Jorburg like road network, then the way out is public transport. Else we are yet to become another nairobi in congestion in our cities
in your story, you have not mentioned car vendors who park their cars around Nandos area and Limbe post office parking space.
You must remove those car dealers who occupy parking spaces as a market for selling their second hand cars. They have to be relocated to other designated place rather than causing congestion in town. Because those spaces are designed mainly for shot stay not full day as it is now.
Please let us redesign Blantyre – making it look like Lilongwe. Lilongwe has wider roads,beautiful city views and plenty of space for expansion. On the other hand Blantyre looks very old fationed and ugly. Narrow streets engulfed by zimabwinja zokhazokha. What kind of city is that?
I think Lunzu is a good cite for better and well designed CBD, don’t you think!
Where are going to construct the multi storey car lot building,Mbayani?