THE Mayor and City Council (M&CC) has said that it is going right on ahead from Monday to resume the operation of the parking meters in Georgetown with slight adjustments to the rates and implementation structure of the metered parking project.Both Mayor Patricia Chase-Green and Town Clerk Royston King had earlier this week indicated in the news that the cost for parking will be cut in half, evidently meaning that the cost to park per hour would have been dropped from $200 an hour plus VAT, to $100 an hour plus VAT.
But at a news conference Friday inside the studios of the National Communications Network (NCN), Homestretch Avenue, hosted by M&CC and Smart City Solutions (SCS), it was announced that the slashing in half is meant to benefit only those who are parking for eight hours or more. Thus, the cost per hour remains at $200 plus VAT.
One of the SCS Directors, Mr Amir Oren, further announced that any motorist paying for four hours of metered parking will automatically be credited with eight hours of metered parking.
Furthermore, rather than paying for a particular space for a particular amount of time, motorists will instead be paying for parking time for their particular cars. This essentially means that motorists may purchase any amount of parking time and then move from any metered parking space to any other metered parking space anywhere in the city for the amount of time purchased on a single parking ticket until its expiry.
Among other changes are that an enforcement grace period of 15 minutes will be introduced, meaning that no clamping will be conducted until at least 15 minutes after expiry of a parking ticket receipt. (For example, a vehicle parked at 1:00 pm,and the driver has purchased one hour of parking, will not be immobilised until 2:15 pm.)
Furthermore, there will be no immobilisation fee penalty for a one-month adjustment period. During this one-month period, vehicles that are immobilised for non-payment of metered parking fees, will be required to pay only the metered parking fee for the time that they were immobilised and nothing else. (For example, during this one-month period, if a vehicle is immobilised at 10:00 am for not paying fees, and the owner claims the vehicle at 11:00 am, he will be required to pay only $200 plus VAT.)
For six months (after expiry of the one-month adjustment period), the immobilisation fee will be reduced by 50 percent or $4000 plus VAT. The fee will be restored to $8000 after the six months.
Among other “special considerations,” are that businesses may apply for monthly parking permits which may be considered on a case-by-case basis. Businesses may apply for loading/offloading parking regulations, and official taxis and minibuses may purchase metered parking monthly passes for $12,000 per month, plus VAT. Residents may also apply for residential parking permits.

Majority

Asked whether he agrees with a public perception that it is only the M&CC that seems interested in implementing parking meters, the town clerk said: “Unless we can have clear evidence that the masses are against this project, then we’ll just really be assuming things. What I know is that we have been receiving feedback from our stakeholders and people we have been engaging that this project is necessary and that they want it.”
“We have the majority of persons saying they need parking meters on our city streets,” the mayor joined in.

Court Action

Explaining why the M&CC will be proceeding with the parking meters from Monday even in the face of a court order asking them to explain their decisions, the mayor said: “My understanding of the matter before the court is one that doesn’t stop us; there’s not an injunction that stops us from operating,” Mayor Patricia Chase-Green told reporters at a press conference on Friday.
Although Town Clerk Royston King could be heard cautioning the mayor not to comment on the issue, he too added: “Yes, we will go ahead; we will continue to operate the programme.”
The High Court on Thursday had ordered that citizens be exempted from paying fees for parking in the city and from being subject to the resulting penalties until the M&CC can show reason why their decision to implement parking meters should not be quashed.
Chief Justice (ag) Yonette Cummings-Edwards granted an order nisi of certiorari to quash the decision of the M&CC to implement the parking meters, unless it can show cause why its decision should be maintained. This matter will be called again on February 27.
The court order also said that it is 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.
A group of persons who all share the same convictions regarding the parking meter fiasco, the Movement Against Parking Meters (MAPM), is however adamant that the project should be scrapped and that not even a reduction in the rates will suffice.
“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,” the MAPM had said.