The government is yet to approve the City By-laws governing parking in the Capital, however, this will only serve to ensure certain category of vehicles are exempted from using the system.
Minister of State, Joseph Harmon today (Thursday, February 2, 2017) at this week’s Post-Cabinet media briefing noted that “there are certain agencies like emergency vehicles, vehicles of the State… there will have to be some arrangement; Diplomatic vehicles, all of these arrangements I don’t believe are fully in place under the current arrangements and therefore they need to have By-laws to regulate how that functions.”
However, he is optimistic that these will not be the only exceptions, noting the case of the Guyana Teachers Union, who most recently was given assurance of exemptions for its members in areas around schools where paid parking is introduced.
“I rather suspect that if individual approaches are made then something sensible can be worked out,” the Minister said.
He revealed that the by-laws are currently with the Attorney General’s Office awaiting his comment which would ensure that policies are fully in accordance with the Laws of Guyana.
According to Harmon despite the fact that the Minister responsible for Local Government, the Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan would have already given his signature of approval to the document, “our system requires that whatever laws come from wherever ministry, that it has to be signed off by the Attorney General before it actually comes to Cabinet.”
Since the announcement of paid parking in certain parts of the City, there has been much public outcry against the move. These social media protests gained fresh momentum when motorists boycotted identified parking spots when the initiative became fully implemented at the end of January.
