Smart City Solutions Incorporated (SCSI) has downsized its operations in the wake of the three-month suspension imposed following outcry from citizens that parking meters in Georgetown were an additional financial burden.
Guyana Times understands that the contracts of wardens, who were once tasked with clamping the vehicle wheels of motorists who fell afoul of the city by-laws, have been terminated. This publication was also told that the major players in the project have since left the country. On Tuesday, several calls to SCSI’s office went unanswered and, according to reports, the office work has also ground to a standstill.
Wardens frequently clashed with motorists over disputed booting
The parking meter contract was subjected to reviews from both the Finance Ministry and the Attorney General’s Chambers, after concerns were raised about the project. Those reviews were not favourable, but the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) went ahead with the project.
Among the concerns raised about the contract were the division of profits, the exorbitant amount being charged for parking, the development, as well as the terms of the agreement and the company undertaking the project.
An estimated 400 parking meters were expected to be installed along selected streets in the central business district of the capital city of Georgetown.
Concerns had abounded over the criteria used for the selection of the streets, with some seeing it as a discriminatory move, as some persons would have been mandated to pay for parking, while others did not.
Opposition
The parliamentary Opposition People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) had strongly criticised the project, especially in light of the fact that there were no consultations on the matter beforehand.
Despite the flaws highlighted in the contract, Government discovered nothing illegal and gave the green light for the commencement of the project once certain recommendations were implemented. These included a reduced fee for parking, which was eventually changed in the contract.
These appeasement efforts did little to dissuade protesters from taking to the streets outside City Hall on a weekly basis. In addition, there was a visible drive to boycott the parking meters by city motorists.
In January, Communities Minister Ronald Bulkan had approved the parking meter by-laws, which had been presented to him by the company. When asked why he would sign the by-laws when there were prevailing concerns about the project, Bulkan had cited the M&CC’s independence.
After unrelenting protests and popular outcry, Bulkan suspended the by-laws on March 17, for a three-month period. This was in order to give SCSI and the city time to arrive at a settlement more amenable to the populace.
Those negotiations are being spearheaded by a delegation from the M&CC, which would include the Finance Committee and most likely other Councillors. Mayor Patricia Chase Green has already publicly recused herself from the proceedings, ostensibly to give the project a fresh perspective.
