Gov’t takes ‘hands-off’ approach to return of Parking Meters

One day after the City Council passed amended by-laws for the return of the controversial parking meter project, Cabinet’s spokesman, Joseph Harmon said the Government will not intervene until the by-laws are at its desk.

The amended parking meter by-laws were approved on Wednesday by a majority vote by the Georgetown Mayor and City Council, just over one year since it was suspended with immediate effect by the Government.

Responding to questions from reporters on Thursday, Minister of State, Joseph Harmon did not say whether the Government will support the return of the project. However, he noted that the council has the right to make its own decisions.

“These decisions that are being made well within the remit of the city council and therefore unless an approach is made to central government, we will prefer to allow the city council to do its work,” Harmon told reporters.

In March 2017, upon suspending the project, the Government had asked the council to review the contract with Smart City Solutions which had caused widespread protests over lack of transparency.

As such, Harmon on Thursday said the Government still believes there is need for order in the city and will look at whether its requests were met when the renegotiated contract and by-laws are brought to the Government.

He expressed the belief that the council needs to be allowed to function on its own and let the residents exercise their judgment at this year’s Local Government elections.

“Later on this year, you will have an opportunity to have a referendum as to whether in fact you believe that the city fathers and mothers are doing a good job and so allow them to function because it must not be said that we were not allowed to function and that is why this did not happen or that did not happen,” he explained.

Harmon noted that the Government only intervenes in the work of the local authorities if requested or if the safety and security of citizens are threatened.

In 2017 when the parking meter project was first implemented, the by-laws were signed into law by Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan- shortly after, he was directed to suspend it with immediate effect by the government.

At that time, it granted police protection to citizens against parking meter wardens following widespread protests from citizens and harassment from wardens.