If the right motive is not applied at the onset, we will lose another good opportunity to improve our transport system.
... what is of interest is the 'motive' behind this parking levy. And by this, I mean, will the regulation of on-street parking a la parking levy be used as a 'traffic demand management' tool or to raise revenue for the state's coffers? Because the motive of this policy will determine its implementation strategy.
I feel it might be useful to put my two bob's worth into the ongoing public discourse on the the decision of Lagos State Government to impose a levy for parking outside of property perimeter fence.
First, let me state that there's nothing wrong or unusual in government regulating the use of on-street parking. The control and regulation of public highways, of which on-street parking lots are located, are the clear prerogative of government.
Whether this regulation should be responsibility of the local government or the state government is something we can continue to debate. In fact, there's a law suit that has been filed by the Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) challenging the creation of the Lagos State Parking Authority on the basis that it's contravention of the 1999 constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).
However, what is of interest is the 'motive' behind this parking levy. And by this, I mean, will the regulation of on-street parking a la parking levy be used as a 'traffic demand management' tool or to raise revenue for the state's coffers? Because the motive of this policy will determine its implementation strategy.
There's no gainsaying that the regulation of parking has proven to be an effective tool to manage traffic demand in cities. And aside from charging car users for the use of on-street parking, some local authorities in England have even gone a step further in introducing 'workplace parking levy'. In Nottingham, for example, businesses in the city centre are charged by the local council for the number of parking spaces provided for their employees.
As such, if the motive of the Lagos State government is to use control of on-street parking to manage traffic demand, then, all well and good. I will even go a step further to request that revenue raised from the parking levies should be 'ring fenced' and used solely for developing our public transportation system because that's the international best practice.
Government also needs to improve its civic engagement process when it comes to policy making. It's unfortunate that property occupiers are being served with a demand notice without any form of public consultation and awareness campaign. Whilst it's every right of government to impose such levies, the way and manner it done is also very important.
On the other hand, if the government sees this solely as an opportunity to generate cash and boost its internally generated revenue (IGR), then that's where we will have a problem.
For starters, I am always worried when I see regulatory authorities set up by government being given revenue targets. And if government sees parking in Lagos as just another 'cash cow' where money can be made, this is exactly what will happen. And once the Parking Authority is given a revenue target, it will ultimately lose focus because instead of regulating parking to ensure efficiency in the transport system, it will be more interested in how many parking lots it can license and collect fees from, even if those parking lots will have a negative impact on traffic congestion. At the end, we would have achieved nothing in improving our transport system, except 'money making'.
Government also needs to improve its civic engagement process when it comes to policy making. It's unfortunate that property occupiers are being served with a demand notice without any form of public consultation and awareness campaign. Whilst it's every right of government to impose such levies, the way and manner it done is also very important.
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Enforcement of government regulation should never be perceived by residents as an 'ambush'. Such perception can only damage public trust and ultimately lend credence to the widely held belief that the parking regulation is all about raising revenue.
So, I appeal to all those involved that we should not set another bad precedent. The Parking Authority is a relatively new agency. Hence, its professional approach in this early stage to the regulation of parking will set the tone for years to come.
If the right motive is not applied at the onset, we will lose another good opportunity to improve our transport system.
Seyi Osiyemi writes from Kuwait.
