The body which organised mass protest actions in the capital city against the parking meters project, is urging Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan against releasing the suspension of the parking meter bylaws and warned that its members will once again hit the streets if the project is resumed.
The Movement Against Parking Meters (MAPM), in a statement Monday, noted that it is not against a structured system for traffic regulation within the central areas of the city but it will not support the renegotiation of the “corrupt contract” or the resumption of the metered parking by Smart City Solutions (SCS), regardless of the minimal cost attached.
“We therefore stand ready to mobilize our supporters to resume our street protests and exercise any and all options available to us to prevent this abomination from moving forward. We also call on the Honourable Minister of Communities not to release the suspension of the parking meter bylaws,” MAPM stated.
Following a series of mammoth protests outside of City Hall, Government was forced to intervene to suspend the parking meters project which received tremendous backlash from all sections of society.
The Mayor and City Council (M&CC), with the exception of a few councilors, have since voted for a review of the contract with the aim of having the initiative rolled out by SCS.
MAPM said it has noted these developments and has taken umbrage to the continued underhanded efforts by the officials to forge ahead with the “corrupt contract.”
“The thirteen councilors who voted to renegotiate this corrupt contract have demonstrated their laxity for transparency and due process. The five members of the committee appointed to renegotiate this corrupt contract were some the same aforementioned thirteen and it is clear that they intend to carry out their mandate in the same incuriam de aequitate manner,” the body stated.
MAPM posited that it will not compromise on its position that the contract between the City Council and SCS suffer from a number of procedural and other deficiencies and may be deemed illegal due to breaches of various laws such as section 229 of the Municipal and District Councils Act, Chap. 28:01 which provides that notice must be given and invitation sought from the general public bids by way of sealed tenders bidding for execution thereof of contracts exceeding $250,000, and to select from among those bids using a fair and transparent process and abiding by fixed and pre-informed guidelines of eligibility by bidders.
MAPM also reminded the M&CC that evidence is yet to be produced by the Mayor and Town Clerk that prior authorization was given to the Town Clerk for the execution of the SCS Contract by a majority decision of the Councilors as is required by Section 56 of the Act.
