SMART City Solutions (SCS), the company which won the parking meters contract will begin the roll-out of parking meters in December.But before the official roll-out of the project, a two-week trial will be afforded drivers so that they could familiarise themselves with the new technology. That trial period is expected to begin at the end of this month.

At a media briefing held at the Marriott on Friday, it was disclosed that during the first phase, the 157 parking meters will create 3,237 parking spaces within the city. The controversial project has been dubbed by the company as the solution to the city’s congestion.

The first set of parking meters will be installed along Camp, Water, Quamina and Hadfield streets and drivers will be required to pay $50 for every 15 minutes or $200 for every hour spent. The charge has been approved by the Georgetown Mayor and City Council.

Reporters were told that dozens of enforcers working with SCS will be assisted by the City Constabulary with the enforcement of the plan in accordance with the city’s by-laws and traffic laws.

Additionally, several persons will be trained by CSC and sworn as City Constables so as to be granted powers of arrest. Sixty enforcers will be hired to monitor the system and illegalities will result in vehicles being towed away or wheel clamps installed. To have the wheel clamps removed; drivers will be required to pay an $8000 fine.

The parking meters are equipped with anti-vandalism features which includes giving feedback to a central office monitoring its operations. Town Clerk Royston King said SCS is well equipped with resources that are not available ordinarily to the City Council. He noted that since 1995, the idea of installing parking meters here was toyed with and noted that in 2007 discussions were had with the Miami Parking System but at that time, the Mayor and City Council did not have the requisite funds to start the project.

“Here we have a company that has come to us with all the resources, the City Council is not putting in one cent, but we are getting 20% of the gross and we are not investing anything. Even in respect with the training of the people, maintenance of the meters and payments they are managing all the burdens,” said King.

Meanwhile, Global Head of Smart City Solutions, Amir Oren, told reporters that the M&CC will eventually receive 30% of the gross throughout the life of the project.

“Whether we make money or not, we have to pay income taxes, salaries and we are creating 100 jobs, we have been doing this for a long time and we are the biggest operator in the Region,” Oren said.
He stated that the second phase of the project will begin early next year with 163 more parking meters that will create an additional 4,000 parking spaces.

The Global Head of SCS said too that the company has over 25 years of experience in on-street parking with operations in five countries on three different continents, which operate in Chicago, the USA, Mexico, Panama, Peru and now Guyana.

There will be over 40 outlets selling parking meter cards throughout the city, he disclosed.
Public Relations specialist Kit Nascimento said there will be a sensitisation campaign to educate drivers on the operations and usage of the parking meters. He said the company believes that the project is important not only from a business perspective, but also from a transformational perspective for the city.

Also present at the event was General Manager of Smart City Solutions Guyana, Carlos Gocsez;
Accounting Manager, Alicia Bess; Consulting Engineer from Mexico, Enrique Maldonado; Operations Manager John Daniels, and other officials of the company