Even with reduced tolls, East Street parking lot still empty

Although the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) of Georgetown has managed to have the East Street parking lot

located obliquely south of the Georgetown Public Hospital, toll reduced, persons continue to refuse to park there because they are trying to evade what they call a “heavy toll.”
While Deputy Mayor Sherod Duncan has stated that he is unaware of any future prospects geared at tackling the problem, he noted that the matter of a possible further reduced fee has not been discussed among the councillors but they have noticed that persons would park around it.
Since its existence, persons have been resorting to parking their vehicles alongside the already narrow road causing much traffic congestions.
The construction of the parking lot was done by a private contractor after a Memorandum of Understanding was signed with the M&CC. The project came under the auspices of the Ministry of Public Infrastructure and has been in operation since the beginning of the year. Persons desirous of using the lot were initially required to pay a fee of $360 per the first hour and $300 for every additional hour. This figure however, was reduced to $300 for the first hour.
“One time I noticed one car in the parking lot and several cars parked around the parking lot. I am really not aware if there is any future plans for the parking lot,” Duncan said.
Residents in the area continue to call for the parking lot to be removed, insisting that as it stands there are no financial benefits being garnered. Prior to having to pay for parking, the tarmac which spans the width of New Market Street and Middle Street would always be crammed with vehicles. It was mainly used by hospital staff, visitors and other persons in the area.
Former Mayor Hamilton Green, under whose leadership the programme was launched, had stated that the installation of the parking lot was a way of injecting some level of discipline to the public and encouraging them to comply with traffic laws.