Dear Editor,
There are so many Caribbean countries – each made up of more than one million people – that can fit into our Dadanawah Ranch in the Rupununi, and none of them has any parking meters. I have been travelling to Boa Vista in Brazil for over 40 years; it is eighty-three thousand square miles, has less than one million people, and one cannot find parking space there.
Guyana is defending the installation of parking meters by saying it will bring economic benefits to enhance development. I am hard pressed to believe that some of our leaders and policy makers have studied economics, even in Sunday school. How can economic benefits enhance Georgetown when eighty percent of the total money collected from our tax payers for parking is going into the pockets of a foreign company which cares nothing about our city, country or people?
I do not believe that parking meters can ever enhance Georgetown.
Let’s take a quick look at the pros and cons.
A person who wants to go into a commercial bank in Georgetown would pay $200 for one hour of parking time, thinking that is enough time. When he enters the bank, he is faced with a very long line. He joins the line, hoping to finish in time. Unfortunately, he spends some more time to complete his business, all this time in deep stress about parking meters. When he comes out, he finds his vehicle clamped, so he is faced with more stress; he has to get another vehicle, or call a taxi to take him to the competent authority, where he will pay a hefty fine, get a release for his vehicle, and get another taxi to take him back to his vehicle. That is what I call a total waste of productive time, a waste of money, and a bundle of stress.
PRIVATE PAY PARKS: An attendant is present. You leave your car, the time is checked. When you return, your vehicle is safe, you pay on the spot for the time your car was left in the park; you drive away and go about your business immediately. No stress, and no waste of money or time.
FIXED PAY PARKING: For many years during the PPP rule, we paid $200 to park our vehicles at the Timehri airport park. During the last twenty months, there has been an increase by one hundred and fifty percent. No one complained, you wait at the airport until your family or friends arrive, you drive away; no clamping, no fines, no waste of time.
Remember that shortly after the 2015 elections, we were asked to pay 100% increase on fitness and licence to use our roads; not to mention the many millions of dollars Government is collecting on import duties and taxes on every vehicle, except for a few special people. Also, taxes are collected on every gallon of fuel consumed.
My dear leaders and councillors, my advice to you is to tighten your belts, cut your losses, and send those parking meters back where they came from before it’s too late. Our people seem to be very desperate in defending their rights.
Sincerely,
Ed Singh
Lethem
