Parking meters in by-laws hitch
Paid parking, which was to be implemented today, appears to be on hold at least for several days after the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) made a late submission of by-laws to Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan for approval.
Up to press time, neither Mayor Patricia Chase Green nor Town Clerk Royston King could be reached for comment on what would be seen as another embarrassment for the council in a highly controversial project.
When contacted yesterday, Kit Nascimento, spokesman for Smart City Solutions (SCS), the parking meters company, said SCS had been trying to contact city officials for clarification on the matter. He added that the company would do nothing in violation of the law.
Bulkan told Stabroek News yesterday that it would “be imprudent for the company to (institute paid parking) in the absence of the approval (of the by-laws) by the central government (through) the Ministry of Communities.”
Nascimento stated that the company was unaware that the by-laws had not been approved by the minister. For weeks now it had been reported that January 23rd would be the day on which paid parking would begin and it is unclear why the city failed to make a timely submission of the by-laws to Bulkan.
Bulkan yesterday told Stabroek News that he received the bylaws on Friday last and the legal advisor of the ministry is currently reviewing the document. He explained that the process could last for the next two days after which he would respond immediately to the Mayor and City Council.
The parking meters by-laws were approved by council on December 12, 2016 at a statutory meeting. On December 24, 2016, Stabroek News reported that the M&CC said it intended to apply to the Minister of Communities for confirmation of the Georgetown Metered Parking by-laws. The bylaws were available for public inspection from Wednesday, December 28, 2016 up to Monday, January 10, 2017.
While the mayor and town clerk could not be contacted, Deputy Mayor Sherod Duncan last night told Stabroek News that it is unclear to him why the by-laws were not sent earlier since the document had to be reviewed and gazetted.
The parking meter project is divided into two phases, with the first phase expected to see the installation of 157 meters to cover 3,237 spaces, while in the second phase, expected to be implemented in the first three months of 2017, approximately 163 meters would be installed to cover 4,000 spaces.
The meters would be operational from Monday to Saturday, from 7 am to 7pm. Parking is to cost $50 per 15-minute period.