THE amended parking meter by-laws will be taken for discussion at the very next Cabinet meeting, Communities Minister Ronald Bulkan has said.
In brief comments to the Guyana Chronicle, the Minister acknowledged receipt of the new set of by-laws which the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) last week forwarded to him, and noted that there have been some adjustments.

The M&CC had announced at its most recent statutory meeting that the by-laws were forwarded to Bulkan for his signature.

In a subsequent statement, M&CC said the parking meter re-negotiation committee has made adjustments to several parts of the contract including price, payment for space, sanctions and how profits would be shared.
Currently, M&CC noted, there is a “serious” problem of traffic congestion in several parts of Georgetown, including the central business district. “Hence, there is an urgent need for the Council to implement regulatory parking.”

The Council said it has received the endorsement of many private citizens and some companies on the implementation of the project. Apart from providing employment opportunities, it said the project would also reduce traffic congestion and improve mobility, and increase parking space availability.

“The City of Georgetown will collect revenue and reinvest it into local communities. The Greater Georgetown Development plan endorses regulatory parking. The Municipal and District Council Act 28:01 empowers the Municipality to regulate and control parking in the City of Georgetown,” M&CC pointed out.
Thirteen city councillors earlier this year voted in favour of the amended by-laws, while two voted against and two abstained from voting. PPP Councillors Bisham Kuppen and Khame Sharma voted against, while Councillors Malcolm Ferreira and Carlyle Goring abstained.
Following discussions with Smart City Solutions, citizens would be required to pay a proposed fee of $150 per hour (VAT inclusive) or $800 (VAT inclusive) for eight hours of parking in the city.

The new parking fee was proposed by the Parking Meter Renegotiation Committee–a sub-committee of the Georgetown Mayor and City Council – after extensive renegotiation with Smart City Solutions.

The significant drop in the fee from a high of $500 per hour was among agreements reached with SCS – a foreign company – based on recommendations proposed by a Special Committee and approved by the Council.

The change in parking meter fees is as a result of several protests. Those protests had even resulted in the government suspending the parking meter by-laws which allowed for a metered parking system in Georgetown.

Even in view of the latest amendments, the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), along with the Movement Against Parking Meters (MAPM) and other stakeholders, continue to insist that the contract is illegal.
Protests continue to be held outside of City Hall almost every Thursday from 12 noon.