Battle lines drawn again over paid parking

Battle lines are once again being drawn over metered parking following Thursday’s vote by the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) to continue negotiations with the investor in the controversial project, Smart City Solutions (SCS). The Movement Against Parking Meters (MAPM), which waged a months-long campaign for the revocation of the contract with SCS, intends to spend the weekend regrouping after the M&CC rejected a recommendation to revoke the agreement. Given the furore over paid parking which saw city residents boycotting the meters over a number of months, it has been pointed out that Thursday’s slim vote in favour – 13 to 12 – did not even represent a majority of those on the council. The M&CC has 30 councillors and a majority vote would be at least 16. Observers say that a vote by 13 councillors could not be viewed as a clear mandate to go ahead. Thursday’s vote was also significant as several APNU councillors voted against the coalition’s line.