THE High Court yesterday ordered that citizens be exempted from paying fees for parking in the city and from being subject to the resulting penalties until the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) can show cause why their decision to implement parking meters should not be quashed. A court action was on Thursday filed by Lawyer Kamal Ramkarran on behalf of citizen Mohendra Arjune.
Chief Justice (ag) Yonette Cummings-Edwards, subsequently granted an Order nisi of certiorari to quash the decision of the M&CC to implement the new parking system unless it can show cause why its decision should be maintained.
The Court Order is also preventing Town Clerk Royston King from signing and operationalising contracts with Smart City Solutions (SCS) Inc., the company that was granted the concession to implement the new parking system in the city, until the M&CC can show cause against the quashing of the decision.
The matter will be called again on February 27, before Justice Brassington Reynolds.
Meanwhile, Georgetown Mayor, Patricia Chase-Green, on Monday announced that City Hall was planning to officially announce today (Friday) that rates for the use of the parking meters have been cut in half. This means that citizens would now be required to pay $100 plus VAT per hour.
But this development did not go down well with members belonging to the Movement Against Parking Meters (MAPM) who have since expressed that a mere reduction in the cost to park will not suffice to solve the issues that have arisen.
“We’re not accepting a reduction. What we want to see is the feasibility study, the impact study, the due diligence of SCS and the evidence of the tender process that was done to select SCS. If they can’t produce these things, then we’re asking that the contract be revoked,” Member Marcel Gaskin had told this newspaper, adding that the issue is not just about fees alone, but deals with transparency and accountability as well.
The Movement continued with its protest in front of City Hall yesterday and the mayor has been invited to answer questions from the public at St. Stanislaus College tomorrow (Saturday) at 3 pm.
Parking meter hits snag… Court orders M&CC to show cause why it should not be quashed
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2 thoughts on “Parking meter hits snag… Court orders M&CC to show cause why it should not be quashed”
I am quite sure that the learned Judge will examine the draconian contract in detail and will rule accordingly. It would appear that the MCC was not in any way assisted by any Attorney at law to oversee the drafting of the contract and as such was bullied by Smart City Solutions. It has been lately revealed that Cush had ties to the PNC. I can clearly see signs of National Unity on the horizon.
One good thing about the parking meter, we will be seeing less pregnant looking men, they will gave birth but you would not see the babies, you will see flat belly men walking around Georgetown. some will start looking slim like me.