THE Government of Guyana on Friday suspended the Parking Meter by-laws, by-laws No 1 of 2017, which allow for a metered parking system in Georgetown. The move by the administration follows a recommendation by Cabinet for City Hall and Smart City Solutions (SCS) to suspend the Metered Parking System for a period of 90 days. The suspension order signed by Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan, said “It is declared that the Mayor and Councillors of the City of Georgetown are in default of their functions with respect to the Georgetown Metered Parking By-Laws and I hereby direct the Mayor and Councillors to suspend the Georgetown Metered Parking By-Laws for three months commencing on the 17th March, 2017.”

Meanwhile, earlier Friday Minister of State Joseph Harmon at a post-cabinet press breifing said government has the authority to suspend the parking meter contract if the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) refuses to heed Cabinet’s call for a 90-day suspension of paid parking.

Harmon said that Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan, was asked to communicate Cabinet’s decision to the M&CC. According to Harmon, government has two options: “One is suspension, or the other is revocation and if the intervention of a party under what might be termed force majeure [unforeseeable circumstances that prevent someone from fulfilling a contract] exist, then certainly the parties to the contract can understand what needs to be done and the contract spells out itself in clear terms what force majeure is and what needs to be done.”

The State Minister also pointed out that the Mexican company tasked with implementing the project,Smart City Solutions (SCS), failed to include provisions for the police, army, ambulance and fire service vehicles. This and other issues forced the APNU+AFC coalition government to review the situation, which resulted in Cabinet’s decision.

“Some of the issues addressed at Cabinet were installation of parking meters on streets that were within the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, the use by the concessionary company of parapets that were not under the jurisdiction of the M&CC, the cost of parking in the city,” Harmon said.

He explained also that Cabinet has zeroed in on the financial aspects of the contract and primarily the concerns of citizens.

“It was a strong view of Cabinet that the concerns of citizens always must be taken into consideration in these matters.”

The M&CC has been officially informed of Cabinet’s suggestion and Town Clerk Royston King has since written Bulkan seeking “clarity” on government’s suggestion of suspension. King also informed the minister that City Hall will have to compensate SCS millions of dollars if the contract is suspended.

When asked about this, Minister Harmon said, “Those are legal issues which will be dealt with, but the government made its concern very clear and, therefore, whether there is to be compensation or not that’s a matter to be addressed in the process.”

According to the Minister of State, government expects that City Hall would heed its advice and take the matter to the 30-member council at its statutory meeting for ratification.

“Cabinet has given its advice and we expect that the advice will be heeded by the City Council,” he said.

It was reported that SCS has earmarked US$10 million for the parking meter project and has agreed to give City Hall 20 percent of gross earnings. Latest figures show that due to the boycott of the parking meters, City Hall’s stake was just over GY$250,000 last month.

The decision by Cabinet on Tuesday last to suspend the parking meter project came as weekly protest action by the Movement Against Parking Meters (MAPM) continued with signs of intensification.

Meanwhile, the Transparency Institute of Guyana, the Private Sector Commission and the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry are among stakeholders that have called for the contract to be scrapped, citing no public tender and lack of transparency.