Bulkan backs M&CC with implementation of Parking Meter Project

Despite widespread criticism of the Parking Meter System, Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan is standing by the Mayor and City Council for its implementation of the Parking Meter System in Georgetown.

Speaking at a recently held Senior Staff Conference of his ministry, Bulkan said the passing of time will reveal the usefulness, benefits and efficacy of the Parking Meter System in Guyana.

“It is my own view that in the very near future we will all be able to see the benefits of that initiative, that it will help to bring back order to our city streets and that the many benefits that have been outlined by the Council would become more evident,” he noted.

In the grand of scheme of bringing back order to the Capital City, the Minister said the next step in order of priority would be the restoration of the buildings which have suffered from a “considerable degree of degradation.”

Since its announcement, the Parking Meter Project has attracted numerous criticisms not only from the citizens themselves but, the Private Sector, Opposition and other bodies, citing the lack of transparency, consultation and the legitimacy of the company, Smart City Solutions.

However, the M&CC remains adamant that the project will garner revenue and will not over burden the citizens.

Only recently, the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) described the initiative as an additional financial burden on its members and informed of its plan to bring this concern to the attention of City Hall.

GTU’s General Secretary, Coretta McDonald had reasoned that like every other citizen, the teachers who are attached to schools within central Georgetown will be faced with the 50 dollars for every 15 minutes of parking for up to six hours per day.

It is estimated that it will cost approximately $24,000 +VAT per month for a teacher to park during school hours which is usually six hours daily and can be more in some cases.

Smart City Solutions is looking to erect 157 meters within the areas of Camp to Water Streets and from Quamina to Hadfield Streets.