Parking wardens for Colombo

5 January 2016 06:30 am

Parking wardens have been deployed to 1,600 parking units in Colombo City for the next six months until parking meters are fixed in the city, the Colombo Municipality yesterday said.

Colombo Mayor A.J.M. Muzammil said wardens of a private company had been deployed at the slots along the Duplication Road and Galle Road.
“Rs.10 will be charged from motorbikes per an hour, Rs. 20 from three-wheelers, Rs. 30 from vans and Rs. 50 will be charged from buses and lorries,” the mayor said.

He said the wardens had been deployed only on a temporary basis until parking metres were established. “The parking meters would be fixed within six months,” he said.

Earlier the CMC said that parking meters would be fixed along the Duplication and Galle Roads and all by-roads connecting the two main roads to minimize traffic congestion and to put an end to errant parking.

Tender for the pilot project had been awarded to a private company, which would conduct the project for the first time in Sri Lanka.

Director (Traffics) Nihal Wickremaratne said the project, which was to install 125 parking meters along both roads was scheduled to begin in January.

“It will take about six months for the project to be completed. Funds would be collected manually for several months before we rely completely on the meters,” he said.

The new system would have facilities for motorists to pay by cash, card or other payment systems.

“Forty percent of the income would be given to the Municipality, while the company would take the balance 60 percent,” he said.  (Darshana Sanjeewa)