Parking meters legally come into effect today – Minister Bulkan

Jan 24, 2017 News

– Company meets with Disability Commission, GTU
Parking meters will be in operation from today. Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan confirmed last evening that approval was given yesterday afternoon for the meters to officially and legally come into effect. Minister

A parking meter in front of the Ptolemy Reid Rehabilitation Centre on Carmichael Street.

Bulkan said that the by-laws for the parking meters had already been examined by the Attorney General’s office.
Minister Bulkan also said that in relation to the parking meters erected in front of public buildings and schools, negotiations and discussions should be conducted with the City Council.
The parking meter company, Smart City Solutions (SCS) yesterday held two separate meetings with the National Commission on Disability (NCD) and the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) where terms were discussed about the concern of parking meters that are erected in front of the aforementioned edifices.
According to SCS Public Relations Officer (PRO), Kit Nascimento, there was an exchange of much needed information of which the GTU, NCD and SCS will find a solution that will be beneficiary to everyone. Nascimento said that there were specific areas of collaboration regarding the parking meter locations discussed in the separate meetings. The PRO said that the meetings were collaborative and constructive.
The parking meter company, which was contracted by the municipality’s Mayor and City Council to implement the project, had been criticized for placing meters in front of public schools as well as on pavements. It has been argued that paying to park would be an added burden for teachers and the instruments would serve to be obstacles for persons with disabilities, particularly those who are blind.
Last Monday, this newspaper had reported that the company is open to negotiating with persons so as to structure special packages which would be less than the regular rate. Currently, parking costs $50 per rotation which lasts 15 minutes.
According to Nascimento, packages will only be offered to persons who approach the company. He said that any special arrangement would depend on the prevailing circumstances at the specific location. For private companies, some of the factors which will be considered are the size of parking space in-front of the identified building, size of staff, nature of the business and amount of parking spaces.
The company’s PRO had told this publication that SCS had conducted talks with private sector entities and government agencies in order to come up with special packages for them. He said that as a result of this, for some locations there are already settled special arrangements.
Meanwhile, in an effort to provide proper parking spaces, the company in collaboration with the M&CC has undertaken the resurfacing of some parapets around Georgetown which would have been damaged, in some cases due to rainfall.
Nascimento said that this is a temporary arrangement and urged that the M&CC uses its share of the profits from the project to have other parapets around the City completely upgraded.
A total of 3237 parking spaces will be available, managed by 157 parking meters mounted along Quamina Street, Charlotte Street, Avenue of the Republic, King Street, Wellington Street, North Road, Hadfield Street, Regent Street, Croal Street, South Road, Robb Street, Camp Street, Church Street, Water Street and Brickdam.
Paid parking will be in effect from 07:00hrs to 19:00hrs from Monday to Saturday. Drivers will not have to pay for parking on Sundays or National Holidays. In the event that persons breach their time limit, parking wardens will place a lock on a wheel of the vehicle preventing it from moving, until a fine of $8000 is paid.
To pay for parking, drivers would have to purchase a parking meter card which is being sold at a number of city stores and post offices.

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