Harare Mulls Introduction of 24-Hour Parking Fees in City Centre

Harare authorities are considering extending parking fees in the Central Business District (CBD) to a 24-hour model, moving away from the current system that only charges motorists between 8 AM and 4 PM.

At present, parking fees are only applicable during standard business hours. However, city officials are in the early stages of evaluating a proposal that would require drivers to pay for parking throughout the entire day and night — an additional 16 hours of billing.

This potential change is aimed at easing evening traffic congestion while boosting the City Council’s revenue and enabling better service provision during nighttime hours.

Sources within the municipality indicate that the proposed 24-hour system serves a dual purpose: to strengthen financial support for city operations and ensure that services keep pace with the city’s increasingly round-the-clock commercial and leisure activity.

“The CBD doesn’t go to sleep when offices close. There’s still a lot happening — restaurants, bars, informal trade — and the city must adapt to that reality,” said one official involved in the preliminary discussions.

Should Harare implement the 24-hour system, it would be following a trend seen in other international cities.

For instance, some parts of Victoria in Canada have all-day paid parking, Cocoa Beach in the United States enforces paid parking from morning until late evening, and in Paris, drivers must pay to park between 9 AM and 8 PM.

City spokesperson Stanley Gama was unavailable for comment. However, insiders stress that the proposal is still in the discussion phase, and no immediate rollout is planned.

“This isn’t something that can be rushed. Public consultations and a detailed planning process would be required before anything moves forward,” the source added.

As Harare grapples with urban expansion and increased vehicle usage, city officials say adopting modern parking systems is essential for improved traffic control and sustainable urban revenue.

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