EVEN as motorists continued to park on Wednesday without paying via the parking meters, Smart City Solutions (SCS) still has not said definitively when the adjustment grace period will end.In the meantime, though, staff members of SCS were yesterday pasting stickers on the windscreens of vehicles in breach, reminding them that they were violating the laws and that it was only because of the grace period that they were being spared.

The sticker read: “Attention! This vehicle can be subject to a parking fine due to lack of parking payment or by parking in a prohibited area! Please note that you have not been fined, because the adjustment grace period is currently in effect, but after this period, any further violations of parking regulations shall be subject to the lawful enforcement measures.”

Contacted yesterday, SCS Public Relations Consultant Kit Nascimento told the Chronicle that at least the parking meter system is serving one of its intended purposes, which is to reduce congestion in the city.

He informed this newspaper that the company is in receipt of information that a number of parking meters have been used, and that there has been a “significant and heavy” sale of the prepaid parking meter cards.

This, he said, tells him that people are preparing themselves to use the meter.

Nascimento would not say how many more days remain for the grace period, but insisted that enforcement will begin very shortly. Drivers’ vehicles could therefore be towed away on a day that they do not expect.

Meanwhile, motorists were expected to begin paying to park as of Tuesday morning, but no one paid heed to the meters and hence parked as normal.

For example, about 10:00 hrs, in excess of 20 vehicles were parked near the New Building Society (NBS) and not a single one of them bore any payment receipts on the dashboard. The same was with those parked on Main, Church, Regent and Robb Streets.

Complaining mostly on the streets were taxi drivers, who are adamant that they need to be granted some form of concession. A group, most of whom have been plying the trade for more than 30 years, told the Chronicle in front of Guyana Stores Limited that they have no idea what approach they will take in order to meet the new costs.

For instance, if a customer hires a taxi for one hour and needs to make several stops, the driver is not sure if he will attach the parking costs to the customer or if he will bear it himself.

If he chooses the latter option, then, “What really I wukkin fuh?” one taxi driver lamented.

The parking meters were installed between Water and Camp Streets and Brickdam to Quamina Street. The second phase of the meter project, though, will see an extension of the boundaries from Camp Street to Vlissengen Road and from Brickdam to Lamaha Street.

Prepaid parking cards are said to be available at over 100 places, including pharmacies, gas stations, MoneyGram offices, post offices and the City Hall.

The intention is for them to become as available as phone cards are.

The cards will be available in $500, $2,500, $5,000 and $10,000 denominations.

The $5000 card will carry a one-hour free parking bonus, and the $10,000 card will carry a two-and-a-half hours free parking.