Parking Meter Protesters want revocation and not reduction

This time, there were no counter protesters but hundreds of persons joined the Movement Against Parking Meters as they declared that they now want a revocation of the parking meter system and not a reduction in the costs.

Parking Meter Protesters want revocation and not reduction

The lunchtime protest against parking meters in Georgetown continued today with a much larger crowd gathered outside City Hall.

This time, there were no counter protesters but hundreds more joined the Movement Against Parking Meters, as they declared that they now want a revocation of the parking meter system and not a reduction in the costs.

One of the founders of the movement, Komal Ramnauth, told News Source that the entire contract that City Hall signed with the Smart City Solutions company, should be cancelled and revoked.

He said he has not seen the contract, and an attempt to get a copy for the municipality has not provided any result.

“They need to revoke that contract, put it up for tender and then move forward. But we don’t want any reduction. We want a revocation all together”, he said.

The City Council has never made the contract public, point out that it involves a private company and therefore confidentiality clauses will have to be respected.

At the protest today, many young professionals were more concerned about the cost for parking and said they really cannot afford the $50 per 15 minutes parking price.

Two women who work at an insurance company in downtown Georgetown, said they joined the protest because they cannot afford the price.

They both agreed that while the contract and the by-laws ought to be reworked, they would welcome a lower price and provisions for persons who work in the parking meter districts.

Former Town Clerk, Carol Sooba, also joined the protest today and said she has concerns about the by-laws already being enforced before being gazetted.

She said “there is no law. Laws do not happen just like that. There is a procedure. The city Council has the authority under 28:01 to make the by-laws, but when they make the by-laws, there is a procedure.They have to pass through the subject Minister and the Attorney General and then it should be gazetted for those who might have objections, then you go to Parliament, but they do not happen just like that”.

The Movement Against Parking Meters has been pressing for changes to many of the by-laws, especially those that have large fines attached to offences that are against the by-laws.

The Government on Wednesday expressed its own concern over the parking meter issue, describing some of the charges as “burdensome”. President David Granger met with the Mayor and Town Clerk on Wednesday afternoon and expressed his own concern.

Following that meeting, City Officials said, a reduction will be announced soon. News Source understands that City Hall intends to slash the parking meter rates by 50%.

 

 

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