Addis Ababa Introduces Digital Parking Tickets

Addis Ababa’s Traffic Management Authority (TMA) is stepping up its city-wide automation efforts with the introduction of digital parking tickets in the Ethiopian New Year. The Authority aims to streamline the capital’s fragmented parking procedures, currently managed by 350 youth unions, through enhanced digital oversight.

Biniyam Getachew, Director of Parking Research & Management at the Authority, anticipates increased revenue generation and a reduction in parking ticket-related hassles. The Authority has partnered with local technology company Infratech to develop the software. Parking officers in each neighborhood will use this app to register the time of parking, length of stay, and moment of departure for each vehicle, with payments facilitated through all digital banking services.

“The days of arguing with parking officers are over,” Binyam asserted. “Ticket prices are automatically calculated.”

TMA is also importing 1,500 tablets for distribution to traffic police. These devices are intended to assist officers in operations such as issuing fines, verifying the legality of driving licenses, and tracking drivers who evade parking tickets.

The Authority collects a fifth of the earnings from parking officers, who are often criticized for inconsistent ticketing practices.

The official stated that a tariff system, which factors in location and demand to estimate parking fees, will determine the ticket prices. High-traffic areas like Bole, Piazza, and Megenagna will fall within the first of three tiers, with the other two tiers covering lower-demand areas. With nearly one million cars in the capital and road infrastructure struggling to accommodate the volume, parking tickets are a significant factor in the city’s congested commutes.

Drivers who evade the new digital parking system will face escalating penalties until traffic officers can track them down using their license plates.

Following a new regulation passed to regulate vehicle parking services in Addis Ababa, the Authority is also implementing a cascade of new rules to govern traffic flow and effective use of infrastructure in the coming year. The reforms, which are part of a city-wide upgrade to urban living standards, will punish building owners who use their parking spaces for other services, step up fines on drivers who park in undesignated areas, and issue licensing for parking businesses.

Eliyas Zerga (Eng), Deputy Director of Engineering Operations at the Authority, foreshadows a marked increment from the average of eight million birr earned annually from parking services by next year. During a press conference at the Authority’s headquarters last week, he emphasized the importance of streamlining parking services. The deputy says the new digital system has been under development for nearly a year after Insurtech won the bid.

“We have given training to parking officers in the capital,” he told Shega.

Eliyas mentions that the tedious practice of removing license plates from unruly drivers will soon end. Once the automation process is fully deployed, managing violations will require nothing more than the plate number itself.

Digitization of multiple public services has been gaining momentum over the past few years as the city hall looks to transform Addis Ababa into a smart city.