Questions over parking have been raised at a popular shopping centre in Rondebosch.
Reader Dawn Cruickshank, who shops regularly at the Silwood Centre, sent in a series of photographs to the Tatler showing several vehicles belonging to the local Europcar car hire branch which she believes are exacerbating the parking problems.
“I often find it is impossible to manage to find parking due to the fact that most of the parking spots are taken up by the cars parked by what appears to be the rental company cars.
“They are also parked on yellow lines and facing the wrong direction,” Ms Cruickshank said.
“As a resident of the area, I do make use of this centre and I am often left having to park on the verge of the Caltex station, as no other parking spots are available. Recently, I have also noticed that often orange cones are placed to block this space. I have in the past been watched by the petrol attendants as I walk away from my parked car and have said to them I have no other option. In discussion with them they too have said that I am not the only one who has asked why the parking on property and immediate surrounds is never vacant for shoppers to utilise their own convenience store.”
When contacted for comment, centre owner, Abdul van Decker, said he was aware of the parking problems and he was addressing the situation.
“It is vehicles from Europcar which are creating the situation, but we are trying to sort it out,” he said.
Martin Naidoo, manager of Europcar, acknowledged the parking situation was not ideal.
“We rent some parking bays from the garage, and sometimes when the rental cars are returned they do park in the public parking bays because there is no space,” he said.
“On a Friday afternoon, it gets especially busy, so I do understand people’s concerns about lack of parking. We are trying to run a business as well, but I agree the parking is a problem which we are trying to address.”
