A mere day after the weekly scheduled parking meter protest, the Movement Against Parking Meters (MAPM) has staged a new form of demonstration against the pay-to-park initiative.
Joined by business operatives and accompanied by Acting Mayor Sherod Duncan, who continues to contend that the system lacks merit and should be suspended immediately, group members on Friday deliberately parked their vehicles in the pay-to-park slots in front of the Muneshwer’s building on Water Street with intent to challenge the Smart City Solutions (SCS) constables. They carried black flags, symbolising the death of businesses within the area, and recited what are now well known chants calling for the removal of parking meters.
The Movement Against Parking Meters staged a protest on Water Street, Georgetown on Friday
Friday’s act of defiance was prompted by a recent statement made by Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson, who indicated that the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) has violated the Roads Act Laws of Guyana. The minister noted that in accordance with Chapter 51:01, Water Street (among other streets) falls under the purview of the Public Infrastructure Ministry, thus permission from that Ministry is required before initiatives such as the parking meter initiative can be implemented.
Patterson indicated that permission was never granted to either the M&CC or the SCS – agencies which have been burdening citizens utilizing these areas with parking fees since introduction of the project. Further, these agencies have been extending harsh repercussions to those who refuse to comply with their demands. These instances of assault were reported, and are currently being tried in the courts.
Organiser of the Friday protest, Marcel Gaskin, has declared: “We are daring SCS to come and clamp us!” He went on to describe the parking meter system in Guyana as a money-making operation for Smart City Solutions, thus the decision to delay the suspension. The protester alluded to Minister Patterson’s statements as the reason for the MAPM’s additional demonstration and the particular location chosen.
At the frontline of Friday’s MPM rally was the Acting Mayor of Georgetown, Sherod Duncan. The active anti-parking meter protestor told Guyana Times that he came out in support of Government’s calls for a halt to the Parking Meter Project in order to facilitate a comprehensive assessment of the project, because he is confident it would be completely terminated after that assessment.
Duncan informed the media that, according to legislation, authority to revoke the contract lies in the hands of the Town Clerk. And given that Royston King was the one to enter into the contract with SCS, Duncan stated, “I see no reason why, based on the decision of the cabinet, we have to wait until the Mayor comes back; and why we can’t go ahead and suspend the contract.”
Challenging the integrity and credibility of Smart City Solutions Company, the Acting Mayor has opined that SCS officials are using Guyana as “a Guinea pig”. Given the many implications since introduction of the project, Duncan questioned whether this is the first parking meter project the company has ever executed, and reiterated that the company should be removed from the project.
Just minutes before the protest was staged, geo-Parking road constables assembled themselves with their clamps at the junction, but as the protestors began to assemble, they left the area. For the duration of the demonstration, none of the ‘parking meter police officials’ were spotted on scene, and accordingly, no vehicle was clamped.
Notice has been placed on the parking meters within the area, advising that hours of paid parking meter operations are from 07:00h to 21:00h (9am to 9pm). This is despite the other public notices which inform that parking meters are in service from 07:00h to 19:00h (7am to 7pm).
