THE High Court will continue to hear a case against the implementation of the parking meter, Justice Brassington Reynolds ruled on Thursday. Town Clerk, Royston King, through his attorney Roger Yearwood, on February 27. 2017), had filed a jurisdiction application questioning whether the case filed by Attorney Kamal Ramkarran of Cameron and Shepherd law firm on behalf of Mohendra Arjune for the project to be quashed, could be heard in the High Court under the new Civil Procedures rules.
Justice Reynolds after hearing submissions from both sides ruled that the High Court continues to have jurisdiction to hear the case of the parking meter project and the operations of M&CC to impose penalties and fees on people, who wish to park their vehicles in the city. An application was also made on Thursday by Ramkarran for a stay for the M&CC and Smart City Solutions (SCS) to stop with the operations of the parking meters as the court case proceeds. Justice Reynolds will make his ruling on the question of interim relief application filed by Ramkarran on Monday at 14:30hrs in Court 7 of the High Court.
Earlier this month, Chief Justice (Ag), Yonette Cummings-Edwards granted an ‘Order Nisi,’ to quash the decision of M&CC and Town Clerk to enter into a contract with Smart City Solutions (SCS) Incorporated, unless the council can give just cause why it should be so. The M&CC signed the contract with Smart City Solutions (SCS) on May 13, 2016. The contract gave the company exclusive rights to conduct paid public parking within Georgetown and includes the installation of parking meters. But, the project has attracted a lot of controversy and public debate with members of civil society calling for the terms and conditions of the venture to be rescinded.