M&CC installing parking meters, despite public outcry

Dear Editor,

In spite of the rumpus caused throughout the capital and country by the proposed installation and implementation of paid parking systems in Georgetown, regardless of the concerns expressed by civil society, the business community, non-governmental organisations, the media, Guyana’s academia, private citizens, some governmental officials and organisations, the mayor and some councillors seem hell bent on rolling out this albatross around the necks of the citizens and visitors to Georgetown

This is a most unjust, iniquitous and unreasonable imposition. This is a situation where a foreign company with comparatively little investment, shall be able to milk Guyanese mercilessly for at least another 20 years.

Why was Multi-level Parking systems not considered as an option to provide relief for our parking systems since it has a number of advantages – such as optimal utilisation of space, and a secure environment?

Multiple Level Car Parking Systems are much more in vogue in other progressive countries as a method of automatically parking and retrieving cars, which provides advantages like safety, saving of space, time and fuel, but this of course would require a much greater investment by the parking meter company than what Smart City Solutions is doing, and that is putting down multi-space meters that control multiple spaces per block whereby parkers will have to walk several car lengths to the meter.

A question to be asked is whether the municipality will rehabilitate the streets on which persons will be required to pay to park, or whether they will just put down these meters on these potholed decrepit roads that constantly damage persons vehicles?

It is such a shame that our roads which our ancestors built often with their bare hands and for which this present council is failing to maintain shall be used to make a fortune for a foreign company and a few corrupt municipal officials who could not care less about what happens to Georgetown’s commercial sector as a consequence of the further economic hardship this burden will heap on the citizens of and visitors to Georgetown.

With thanks

Riley Matthews