On 21 May, councillors for wards 87 and 117, Amanda Forsythe and Tim Truluck, presented the city council with comments regarding the paid parking study that had been carried out in the Joburg North suburbs.
Forsythe explained that the report designated Greenside as a suburb where paid parking should be introduced, and that Melville should also be considered.
“With regards to Greenside, I am not opposed to paid parking in principle,” said Forsythe.
“In fact, I believe that a properly thought-out and implemented plan – one that is executed and monitored by three other departments, namely Urban Planning, Transport and Economic Development, including the Metro police – could actually be beneficial to the suburb.”
However, Forsythe said due to the city council’s dismal record of bylaw enforcement in Greenside – particularly in respect of illegal parking and restaurants operating illegally as live music venues – residents have no faith in the city’s ability to implement paid parking in a manner that would not result in more problems and inconvenience than they already have.
“I am therefore in the rather difficult position of having to defend the interests and concerns of my residents while also seeing the potential advantages of paid parking,” she admitted.
Forsythe noted the positive aspects to paid parking, which include a better turnover of the few parking spaces, less cars cluttering up the node, greater visibility by the Metro police, and better bylaw enforcement in the suburb.
“I have also discussed plans with the Mayoral Member of Council of Transport, Christine Walters, to enter into a deal with Pirates Sports Club to use their car park as extra parking for the node, especially for the students of our two colleges, in exchange for the department levelling and resurfacing it.
“A tuk-tuk station could also be created at the sports club to ferry people to Greenside or Parkhurst,” she added.
Nonetheless, Forsythe admitted that convincing Greenside residents to see this vision has not been an easy task, and it was probably a battle she may not win.
“The only way I see the city succeeding in implementing paid parking in Greenside without tremendous resistance is if they include residents and businesses in the planning process and provide guarantees with regards to things like conditions for parking for people visiting the chemist, hardware store or the like,” said Forsythe.
“Residents would welcome a greater Metro police presence in the node if they knew that the officers would spend time enforcing the law and not chasing after parking money.”
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