The world’s first parking meter, by history.com, was installed in 1935 in Oklahoma City. It was installed not as a source of revenue for the municipality but as a solution to lack of sufficient parking space for the rapidly increasing number of automobiles.

The Oklahoma traffic police had tried all means possible to deal with the parking space problem. Drives were allowed to park on designated parking spots for duration of one hour. To ensure that drives complied, traffic police used to draw a white line on the treaded part of the wheel so that they could keep track of how long a given car was parked on a certain parking spot. As it is the norm, each system has its flows. Motorists, who knew that that their parking time was almost over used to rash into their cars, slightly move them so that the white line drawn by the police would be hidden and they would continue enjoying their parking space.

Frustrated by lack of sufficient parking spaces, Carl C. Magee, a reporter for an Albuquerque newspaper created the first parking meter, the Park-o-Meter. The first working model went on public display in early May 1935, inspiring immediate debate over the pros and cons of coin regulated parking.

Indignant opponents of the meters considered paying for parking un-American. They were already paying their taxes and municipality levies. Paying for parking amounted to a tax on their cars, depriving them of their money without due process of law.

Despite the opposition, the first meters were installed and it cost a nickel for an hour long parking. Retailers loved the meters, as they encourage a quick turnover of cars and potential customers. Drivers were forced to accept them as a practical necessity for regulating parking.

Over time the introduction of parking tickets evolved from being a solution to lack of sufficient parking spaces into being a source of revenue for municipalities.

The parking system in Kenya has evolved over time from use of parking meters to using parking tickets sold my municipal parking attendants.

In February 2012, the High Court quashed the decision by the City Council of Nairobi (CCN) to increase parking fees in the Central Business District. The Council wanted parking fees increased to KES 300 per day from KES 140, a move that was termed as unfair since CCN would charge the same fee for somebody who parks for an hour and another who parks the vehicle the whole day. The High Court said the council should introduce parking meters to assist calculate the charges.

In recent developments in the parking sector, CCN recently launched the pilot phase of e-payment of parking tickets. As opposed to buying parking tickets from a parking attendant, motorists in Nairobi will soon find themselves paying for parking space in the city using their phones. Parking inspectors will then patrol the streets checking if vehicles parked have been paid for.

The parking system has indeed come a long way. From traffic police using white paint to determine how long a car had been parked to the inception of the parking meter with which came parking fees. Over time parking meters have become absolute in some parts of the world and they have been replaced by parking tickets. Motorists will soon find themselves paying for their parking space using their phones.