Mayor Chase-Green says paid-parking continues but no vehicle clamping

Last Updated on Friday, 10 February 2017, 16:18 by Derwayne Wills

Georgetown Mayor Patricia Chase-Green shows the parking meter contract, and the newly gazetted by-laws.

Georgetown Mayor Patricia Chase-Green confirmed today with Demerara Waves Online News that vehicles will not be clamped as of today, February 10, 2017, until public consultations are completed on the parking meters project.

Chase-Green said consultations with commercial banks will take place on Monday. Today, a number of religious organisations met with the Mayor, where she said packages were offered to them relating to the parking meters project.

As it relates to the Movement Against Parking Meters, which has grown in support over the past two weeks mounting two major protests in front City Hall, the Georgetown Mayor said she is unsure of who to send the invitation to.

She said, however, her team is willing to meet with the organisers of the movement on Monday at 10:00am to decide on the way forward.

Meanwhile, Georgetown Town Clerk, Royston King, said an official announcement will be made relating to the price structure, and standards for non-compliance with the paid-parking system.

Although the clamping of vehicles has been suspended, according to State Minister and Cabinet Secretary Joseph Harmon, this morning, King said “it doesn’t mean they (motorists) don’t have to pay for parking. It means other measures will be used.”

Chase-Green floated the possibility of a ticketing system.

“City Council was asked to have a fresh look as to the implementation of the parking meter system to ensure they have wider consultations with stakeholders, and, in the process of doing some, examine some of the recommendations now being made and ensure those recommendations are taken on board,” Minister Harmon told the press corps today at the weekly post-cabinet press briefing.

Crowd shot of yesterday’s protest crowd.

Protests against the parking meter project continues to grow as the Movement Against Parking Meters organised a massive demonstration on Thursday, February 9. This was the second such action by the civil society group.

That protest was also attended by a number of well-known Guyanese including former Speaker of the National Assembly, Ralph Ramkarran, former Georgetown Town Clerk, Carol Sooba, and outgoing Georgetown Deputy Mayor Sherod Duncan.

Some are opposed to the project altogether, while others believe its implementation come at a poor time considering Guyana’s socioeconomic status. Another group believes the project should have been subject to a more fair and above board procurement process.

The New Building Society has hauled the city administration before the Courts, challenging the legality of the parking meter project.