− as GTU holds vigil against paid parking for teachers
Day one of paid parking in Georgetown has passed, and a tour of the city on Monday signalled that drivers were playing it safe and were avoiding using spaces
The parking meter outside Hand-in-Hand
demarcated for parking meters.
At locations such as Republic Bank and Muneshwers on Water Street, in addition to Hand-in-Hand and the Bank of Guyana on the Avenue of the Republic, the parking meters were standing stately; however, the parking lots of these enterprises were conspicuously empty.
When Guyana Times spoke to one taxi driver plying his trade along the Avenue of the Republic, the man revealed that he had bought a prepaid parking meter card; however, he was uncertain how to use the card or whether the parking meter was even working.
The parking meter outside Republic Bank on Tuesday
The same uncertainty was evident with another motorist who parked in front of the Ptolemy Reid Rehabilitation Centre on Carmichael Street.
This development can be traced back to the review of the contract which was carried out by the Finance Ministry last year. According to the review, the parking meters may have an adverse effect on businesses as customers may change their spending patterns.
The absence of a feasibility study was a sore point with the Finance Ministry team, which reviewed the parking meter contract. In its review, the Ministry pointed out that there was some uncertainty about how aspects such as the fees were arrived at.
“The prices appear outlandish since it is apparent that no feasibility study was done to determine break even and reasonable profit positions. M&CC [The Mayor and City Council] has to provide some justifications of how the parking and other fees were derived,” the review had stated. At present, the price is set at $50, plus Value Added Tax (VAT) for every 15 minutes. This means that motorists will be charged $200 for every hour spent parked. The least amount of time which can be purchased is 15 minutes.
Fee increases
Meanwhile, this newspaper spoke with two young hire car users who, on condition of anonymity, revealed the impact of the parking meters on the pockets of Guyanese in a short period of time. According to one user, the taxi driver she hired asked for more than the usual fare of $500 a trip.
“I went to the bank at Regent Street and me come out to take a taxi to Ruimveldt side. I normally pay $500, and now the driver charge me $700. When I asked him why the increased fee, the man tell me parking meter start today. I don’t know how I will manage. I don’t even have car and I got to bear the expense of parking meter. So I don’t know how I will make out,” the woman related.
Another taxi commuter related her disheartening experience. The young mother of one related that as it was raining heavily one morning and she was accompanied by her daughter, she decided to take a taxi. She related that the driver demanded $800 to take her from central Georgetown to the Kitty Public Road. Upon her enquiring why, she said that the driver pointed to the fact that the price of gasoline had increased and taxi drivers would soon have to pay for parking.
“I explained to him (that) taxi drivers do not have to pay for parking at designated parks. However, he insisted that they were waiting for some meeting to be held to determine whether taxi drivers will have to pay too. I gave him $600 and told him thanks. I refuse to be exploited by anyone.”
Much to be desired
Meanwhile, the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) held a meeting with representatives from Smart City Solutions Incorporated (SCSI) on Monday at the Union’s headquarters on Woolford Avenue. According to GTU General Secretary Coretta McDonald, the meeting, however, left much to be desired.
“Our fear is that while we are dialoguing, teachers have to pay. We would have thought that while we are having consultations, our teachers would not have to pay for parking spaces,” she said.
She related, however, that the company informed her that it would have to confirm such a measure with the M&CC. She said that another meeting was scheduled for next week.
According to the General Secretary, having a vehicle is not a luxury for some, but actually a necessity. Pointing to the fact that even teachers at the nursery school level drove, she stated that this was an unfair situation when teachers’ salaries have remained inadequate and the cost of living in Guyana was already high.
“You are rolling out parking meters in Guyana, what (they) take into consideration outside of having consultations with various entities?” she queried. “I’m not sure that this was well thought-out.”
Dialogue will continue
Members of the GTU also held a vigil on Tuesday evening, to signal their discontent with the parking meters. That vigil took the crowd to the residence of Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, who is currently acting as President.
After a meeting with the protestors’ representatives, the Prime Minister later came out and addressed the crowd. He explained that while he did not have all the answers for them, he would raise the matter with Communities Minister Ronald Bulkan.
“The answer is not to turn our backs on you (teachers). You have issues, we have to listen to the issues and if you can’t solve these matters now, work together to find some solution.”
“Parking meters are new and came at a time when all these (economic) difficulties are being experienced. (But) it’s not easy for a government to come down on a municipality.” Nagamootoo said that the Government could not just step in, as it was trying to allow the M&CC autonomy. He said that if the Council could not get money, Central Government would have to “carry it like a baby”.
With this, Nagamootoo promised that dialogue would continue.
