New Grogan parking bay charges Sh100 cheaper
Trustees of Jamia Mosque have turned a previously contested mechanics yard in Nairobi’s Grogan area into a low-cost parking bay that is charging Sh100 less than City Hall.
The parking facility, which hosts 800 vehicles, a car wash bay and garage, is expected to start commercial operations on Monday after offering its services free of charge since it opened last Friday.
At Sh200, the parking bay has priced its services lower than Nairobi County that increased its fees to Sh300, up from Sh150 in 2013.
The trustees had announced plans to build a school and mosque at the land estimated to be worth Sh2 billion when they evicted mechanics who had laid claim to the property, leading to a violent confrontation.
24 HOURS
The attendants at the new parking lot said it would operate 24 hours, targeting buses and trucks during the night.
“There will be two police officers during daytime and another two at night-time to provide security,” said an attendant who sought anonymity because he is not authorised to speak to the press on behalf of the management.
The attendant added that trustees had struck a deal with bus owners to take motorists to the city centre from the parking bay.
The facility is enclosed in a perimeter wall located on Kirinyaga Road with 700 parking lots for small vehicles and a space for 100 buses, trucks and lorries, which will mainly park at night.
The new parking bay comes as City Hall races to expand parking facilities in the central business district to meet growing demand due to the double digit growth in car registration in recent years.
In 2013, the number of newly registered cars went up by 21.7 per cent to 94,017 units and 63,486.
City officials plan to construct a Sh4 billion multi-storied car park that will add 3,000 parking spaces in the central business district.
The proposed building will be located on the Sunken Car Park land adjacent to the Aga Khan Walk and Harambee Avenue and will have commercial and office space.
TIME SPENT
Parking will be charged based on the amount of time spent rather than the current system where motorists pay a flat daily fee of Sh300, offering relief to those who come to the CBD for shorter periods.
The Grogan parking yard looks set to gain from motorists with its garage and car wash services under one roof.
The Grogan land has in the past been at the centre of a dispute between the Jamia Masjidahl and more than 900 mechanics who had occupied it for decades. They claimed ownership through adverse possession.
The matter went to court which ruled in favour of Jamia Masjidahl and the mechanics were ordered to vacate the piece of land. The trustees sought the help of police to effect the eviction.
The mechanics, in return, were allocated 1.25 acres of land, near the disputed one.