…City Council summons extraordinary meeting to deal with suspension order

THE parking meter contract is more than likely to be suspended tomorrow (Monday) at an extraordinary meeting that has been called by the Mayor and City Council (M&CC).

Town Clerk Royston King has reportedly asked Deputy Mayor Sherod Duncan, who is currently carrying out the functions of Mayor Patricia Chase-Green, to summon the meeting.

Up to late Saturday afternoon, councillors were being notified of the meeting to be convened at 14:00hrs.

Contacted yesterday, Duncan said King urged him to convene the meeting on the basis that the controversial parking meter project is urgent and needs attention.

The mayor is slated to return from her official visit overseas on March 25.

Duncan had told the Chronicle on Friday that there was nothing precluding the City Council from moving ahead to implement Cabinet’s recommendation immediately.

“We can go ahead now. We can go ahead and suspend the thing. Why keep stalling and asking for clarity? The mayor can call me from the U.S. and I’m sure the town clerk has been in contact with her. This is not rocket science.”

According to him, at the meeting tomorrow, at least 16 out of 25 votes would be required for Cabinet’s recommendation to go through.

“[The]Majority are APNU councilors, so I don’t know who will vote against the recommendation of Cabinet,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Movement Against Parking Meters (MAPM) on Saturday expressed dissatisfaction and disgust that in spite of central Government’s suspension of the parking meter by-laws, Smart City Solutions (GeoPark), continues to “bully” citizens in the streets of Georgetown into paying for parking.

“The usual clamping exercises and intimidation tactics could be seen in full force. With the official suspension of the by-laws by Minister Ronald Bulkan, the company cannot enforce the parking rules that they had previously put in place and they have no legal basis upon which to collect money or clamp the vehicles of citizens,” the MAPM said in a statement.

“The civil society group strongly urges all citizens to not submit to any form of intimidation and further, calls upon the local Police Force and the judicial system to protect the people of Guyana.

“Nowhere else in this world can a company of Guyanese origin disregard the laws of a foreign country and its Government in this way without consequences. What or whom has emboldened Smart City Solutions to enslave our people and get away with it? If this is allowed to continue, it speaks volumes of how badly our national systems have failed us.

“The Movement Against Parking Meters (MAPM) acknowledges the three-month suspension from Government and sees it as a positive first step in the right direction. The movement continues to call for a complete revocation of both the parking meter contract,” the statement said.