Tenaga Car Parks Claims Innocence, But Pockets 60% Of Parking Fines

MAY 19, 2018

Mayor of Colombo Rosy Senanayake has suspended all parking meter ticket fines imposed on the general public of Sri Lanka due to the exorbitant compound charges levied against those that did not pay for parking their vehicles in the Colombo city areas.

Rosy

Posting a tweet yesterday she said “with regard to the recent complaints on parking meter fines. Pending council approval I have given instructions to the commissioner to suspend all fines charged relating to parking meters.”

Tenaga Car Parks Pvt Limited and the Colombo Municipal Council came in for huge flak when the outraged public of Sri Lanka went berserk on social media complaining about unbelievable hefty fines that were levied as late payment charges for unpaid parking ticket fines.

Probably in a global first, the public were charged a whopping compounded interest charge of Rs 1080 per day, for a mere Rs 30 unpaid ticket fine.

In a global comparison, the public in the United Kingdom is accorded a discount of 50% on their unpaid fines if paid within 14 days.

However here in Sri Lanka it is the exact opposite.

For instance the compounded charges snowball resulting in a charge of Rs 1080 by the day.

Tenaga Car Parks PVT Ltd the partner of Colombo Municipal Council who drives this project pockets 60% of the fines for the services they provide.

Managing Director Duminda Jayatillake of Tenaga Car Parks Pvt Limited speaking to Colombo Telegraph said “This is a temporary measure taken by the Mayoress Rosy Senanayake and the Colombo Municipal Council to review the parking charges and fine structure. Tenaga Car Parks Pvt Limited was not involved in creating either charges or fine structure. We merely implemented what had been proposed by the Colombo Municipal Council. All we did was invest over Rs 250 million and put up 100 solar powered parking meters from Galadari round about to Dehiwela bridge, Liberty junction to Dharmarama Road in Bambalapitiya and along all intercepting lanes owned by the CMC. We also pay for all the back end work too”.

Duminda Jayatillake

“We have carried out numerous programmes to educate the general public. Distribution of leaflets in Colombo City, Newspaper advertisements, Facebook posts and also on television” Jayatillake said.

Tenaga Car Parks, a global brand with offices running in India and Malaysia besides Sri Lanka was formed in 2005. It claims to service a total of 20,000 parking bays globally.

Their website states “Parking is a Service, and our objective is to provide Customer Satisfaction by providing an efficient traffic management service in a professional and orderly manner to ensure a safe, secure and friendly environment.”

Meanwhile a person named Echo Asma who had to pay a fine of Rs 6960 several days later had filmed his experience at the Tenaga Car Park Pvt Ltd Office and posted it on Facebook.

Narrating his experience Echo Asma posted “The So called “PARKING VIOLATION FEE” is as BOGUS As it Gets! Yet Many Innocent people accept it and end up paying thumping amounts to this Private Money Making Firm.

This So called Parking Company pinned this to my Windshield last week, Upon inquiring a week after they ask me to pay a Fine of 6960/= as late Payment Fees Which is More than double the Maximum Fine for any Traffic Violations in this Country.

Check the Video on How the Staff Behave when inquiring about the Legitimacy of this Fee and Company.

A Small complain and Protest on this at the Muncipal Council Traffic Divison and they immediately reduce my Violation fee to just RS 50/= (Actual Parking Fee for an Hour) Who Does that? How Legit is this Company? How many Innocent people are being openly Robbed Everyday? This Has to STOP!

Note : Having inquired with both the C.M.C and The Parking Company. The C.M.C Assure me to take Action against the irresponsible behaviour in the video of the staff of the Company where as the Parking Firm state that They are doing only that of What is Authorized and instructed by the C.M.C.

It’s a no brainier that these two institutions are linked and just ripping people apart. I spent half a day at the Muncipal Council and met so many others with the same complaint. People are just paying heavy fines for late payments. It’s Bogus. Who charges 1000 RS for a Day of late payment? Even the Law gives us 14 days before any action could be taken.

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