The Bhutanese Leading the way.
Residents and commuters in Thimphu are increasingly frustrated with how some parking fee collectors allegedly use underhanded means to charge inflated parking fees.
Drivers and commuters who have had bad experiences of being overcharged or encountering issues such as ticket misuse and extended parking times shared their experiences.
Dorji said he experienced ticket collectors overcharging him even though he had parked in a town area for only thirty minutes. “I was sure that I had parked there for less than thirty minutes, but the collector insisted that I had been there longer and showed me that I had parked for thirty-five minutes,” he said.
Some also said they have encountered collectors under the influence of alcohol who created unnecessary arguments with drivers and commuters.
Tashi said, “The average hourly wage is approximately Nu 100, while the parking fee is Nu 40 per hour. This means that an average worker must spend about 40 percent of one hour’s earnings simply to pay for one hour of parking.”
Another user, Kinley, said, “I was once charged Nu 60 for 5 minutes. Since then, I have started tracking my time.”
“I parked my car for 40 minutes and, while returning, the parking fee collector charged me Nu 80. I asked why it was Nu 80, since it’s a hospital area and there is a sign as well. The parking fee collector said nothing, and I paid only Nu 20. If a parking fee collector charges too much, everyone should raise their voice. One or two people paying whatever they ask has become an advantage for them,” said Tashi Tobgay.
On the issue of writing the wrong time on parking tickets, Kipchu said, “This is their usual modus operandi of cheating drivers. I caught them several times doing the same. As such, I always park and take a photograph of my watch as evidence of the parking time. This is the best way to catch them red-handed.”
Sonam said there seems to be no proper timekeeping and that tickets are even being reused. He also said the way some staff speak to customers is not professional.
A major issue raised by several residents is that the mandatory Nu 20 has to be paid even if the driver stops for just two minutes. For instance, if a driver has to stop at different places during a shopping trip, he or she has to pay Nu 20 for every stop.
For middle-income families, these charges accumulate and become an added burden, especially when collectors allegedly use underhanded means.
The manager of a parking contracting company, KCR, shared the other side of the story.
He claimed that collectors and their conduct are regulated and monitored by the contracting companies.
He said the collectors have to meet daily targets or quotas, which vary depending on how congested the area is.
“The quotas vary by area. Some are Nu 800, some are Nu. 1,000 and some are Nu 600. The highest one is at Norzin with a daily target of Nu 6,500.”
“There are fewer cars now compared to before, and collectors are no longer able to meet their daily quotas. At times there are reasons such as heavy rainfall and events at Kuenselphodrang that leave very few cars in town. We can’t say anything and just take what we can.”
As the contracting companies are responsible for monitoring their collectors, the manager said they face new problems every day.
“Often, we have to deal with collectors who create problems under the influence of alcohol late at night and early in the morning.”
Taxi drivers have also been an issue for the collectors. The manager said that the Norling Building area and the Jojo’s area often experience congestion caused by taxi drivers, who sometimes refuse to pay altogether.
An added problem is that some cars remain parked for months and then leave late at night without paying. “We have no way to report that, and we cannot even find them,” the source said.
The source said that some taxi drivers also pay only Nu 40 despite parking for two hours.
Another challenge is that people are no longer interested in doing the job.
“Some core areas generate even Nu 27,000 a month for collectors, but some still leave regardless.”
The source said that most collectors come from uneducated and financially struggling backgrounds. As a result, many do not stay for the long term, leading to a manpower shortage.
“Parking areas such as those under BBS and Kaja Throm have been left without collectors for a long time due to manpower shortages. During that time, swarms of cars parked there. When we assigned a collector to those areas, people started to complain.”
While there have been reports of erratic behaviour by collectors, the manager said the problem extends to both collectors and drivers. Commuters and taxi drivers alike sometimes have a rude “take it or leave it” attitude and disrespect the collectors.
“Some of them even throw the money at us with that attitude,” the manager said.
As the contracting companies monitor the collectors, the manager said the penalty for the repeated use of the same ticket is a deduction of Nu 200 from their salaries.
If collectors are found drinking or creating disturbances, he claimed that they are terminated immediately.
The manager said he has repeatedly requested both the Thimphu Thromde and the Traffic Division for better organization of designated taxi areas and smoother traffic flow.
