Pressure groups plans town hall meeting on parking meters
-vehicles return to the streets as booting suspended
In response to an invitation by Mayor Patricia Chase-Green to meet and discuss their concerns about the metered parking system, the Movement Against Parking Meters (MAPM) has decided to organise a town hall meeting, where the city administration can consult with those persons affected by the project.
Additionally, while the MAPM welcomes the proposed reduction in parking fees, it maintains that its ultimate objective is to have the contract between the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) and Smart City Solutions (SCS) revoked.
Speaking on behalf of the movement, Chris Chapwanya told Sunday Stabroek that the members “are in the process of organising a town hall meeting for next weekend at which the mayor and other city representatives will be invited to speak.”
The movement has made the decision to hold an open forum rather than meet with the Mayor at City Hall “in the interest of transparency,” so that Chase-Green can speak not just with certain individuals but with the people, Chapwanya explained.
Mayor Chase-Green on Friday extended an invitation to the movement to meet with her at City Hall on Monday at 10 am so that its concerns can be included in the post-implementation consultation currently being held.
These consultations are expected to be conducted over the next few days while M&CC and SCS negotiate a reduction in the rates attached to punitive measures under the contract.
According to Chapwanya, any initial steps to alleviate the burden metered parking has placed on the citizens are welcome but the movement still expects the contract to be revoked since it may have been entered into in violation of the procurement laws.
“Our ultimate objective is to have the contract revoked,” he stressed.
The MAPM has so far held two very successful protests against the metered parking project.
The parking meter project had attracted major controversy for months but neither the government nor the city showed an inclination to budge until the mass boycott and protests began last month. The two protests held outside of City Hall saw hundreds of citizens showing their disapproval of a project which they say had negatively affect their quality of life since its launch on January 24.
Members of the public have been incensed at the implementation of “booting,” which saw owners of vehicles parked in violation of metered parking finding their vehicles clamped and being made to pay $8,000 plus VAT of 16% for the clamp’s removal.
The parking fee of $50 per 15 minutes plus VAT has also been widely criticised as too expensive. Other charges include a $12,000 towing fee; $7000 impoundment fee and $7,000 storage fee for every elapsed period of 24 hours a vehicle is impounded. These charges also attract VAT.
The government on Thursday announced that booting and other penalty aspects of metered parking in Georgetown have been suspended as a new rate structure is being developed.
At a post-Cabinet press briefing, Minister of State Joseph Harmon announced the suspension, which he said came as a result of central government intervention at a meeting on Wednesday with ChaseGreen.
He further explained that at a meeting with President David Granger last Wednesday at State House, the City Council was asked to have a fresh look at the implementation of the parking meter system to ensure it has wider consultations with stakeholders and in the process of doing so, examine some of the recommendations which are now being made by persons who had not previously made them and to ensure these are taken on board.
According to Harmon, the metered parking project had been the subject of extensive discussion on Tuesday at Cabinet, which took the decision that the City Council is an independent body whose work it must not be seen to be interfering with. He noted that President Granger, however, felt it necessary to call a meeting with city officials, considering the strategic importance of the capital city and the uproar from the citizens.
“We wanted to give the nation the assurance that we will not take lightly any issue that affects a large number of Guyanese,” Harmon said.