The Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) on Tuesday joined the call for the revocation of the Parking Meter contract and urged that its colleagues in the business community and other stakeholders should maintain their protest efforts until this outcome is achieved.
The Chamber in a statement said it believes that it is irresponsible for the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) to continue with the metered system due to a lack of transparency during the implementation process, a lack of adherence to public procurement procedures, and the absence of feasibility studies and citizen consultations.
The body said it has received numerous complaints from its membership regarding the metered system and its negative effect on customer traffic and sales, adding that it is concerned that conditions will worsen if the metered system remains in operation.
While it clarified that it does not have anything against the M&CC’s efforts to engage in public-private partnerships for the purpose of raising revenue for the city, it does not support the flawed and in some cases, potentially illegal methods that the M&CC has employed in doing so.
As such, it is urging the Mayor and Smart City Solutions to “do right by the populace and revoke the contract.”
The Movement Against Parking Meters (MAPM) on Wednesday (February 22, 2017) will be hosting yet another protest.
