Fines and Booting suspended in parking meter project

By Delicia Bailey

Minister of State Joseph Harmon has announced that while the City Council attempts to engage stakeholders on the Parking Meter system, it will suspend the punitive aspects of the project, namely clamping and fines.

Speaking with the News Room subsequently, Town Clerk, Royston King says the suspension of those measures will be implemented from today (Friday, February 10, 2017). However, he noted that drivers will still be required to pay for parking. How this is expected to work is still to be finalised.

Harmon who was speaking at this week’s post- Cabinet media briefing says this came as a result of the meeting that President David Granger would have had earlier this week with City Mayor, Patricia Chase-Green and Town Clerk, Royston King.

“Based on that engagement the City Council was asked to have a fresh look at the implementation of the parking meter system to ensure that they have wider consultation with stakeholders,” Harmon said.

Just yesterday (February 09, 2017), citizens once again took to Regent Street, across the road from City Hall voicing their displeasure with the project and in some cases calling for its withdrawal.

Some protesters even blamed the Government for not taking a position on the issue, a point that was raised with Harmon today but he maintains that the Mayor and City Council is a duly elected body, therefore, Cabinet could not be seen as interfering with its work.

Nevertheless, he says the concerns of the people were noted and he gave the assurance that “we (Government) will not take lightly on any issue which affects a large number of Guyanese.”

Smart City Solutions and the M&CC, began charging motorists for regulated parking spaces on January 24 last one day after Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan signed the City By-laws that enabled them to do so.

However, as a consequence Mr. Bulkan now finds himself served with an Order Nisi, that requires him to “show cause why a writ of certiorari should not be issued to quash his approval/decision to approve the Parking Meter By-Laws made under the Municipal and District Councils Act, Chapter 28:01 made on or about the 23^rd day of January 2017 in that the said approval or decision to approve was of no legal effect and was made unlawfully and in breach of statute”.

This application was filed by the New Building Society Limited, one of the many businesses affected by the new parking meter system.

He is expected to make his response on February 20, 2017.