Metered parking in Georgetown is one step closer to being legally defined as the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) has signalled its intention to officially apply to the Minister of Communities for confirmation of the Georgetown Metered Parking bylaws, which were approved at its last statutory meeting.
Town Clerk Royston King explained to Stabroek News yesterday that the bylaws, once confirmed, will provide the council with the facility to implement the metered parking project and do all the things necessary to make the project a successful revenue collection stream.
In fact, one of the first things provided for in Article 4 of the 71-page bylaws is a provision to legitimize the installation and operation of a parking meter system.
“The city may install and operate parking meter systems and services and regulate, operate and enforce metered and unmetered parking zones, lanes and spaces,” the article states.
It also seeks to make legal a $50 parking fee for every 15 minutes, up to a maximum time purchase of six hours and a $175 charge for every 15 minutes of parking within “garage parking spaces”. This, too, allows for a maximum time purchase of six hours per transaction.
Other fees which citizens will be subject to include an $8,000 immobilization fee; a $12,000 towing fee; a $7000 impoundment fee and a $7000 storage fee for every elapsed period of 24 hours that a vehicle is impounded.
The bylaws take particular care to mention that each of these fees “may” be subjected to Value Added Tax or other taxes.
The bylaws specifically prohibit parking in metered parking spaces unless in possession of a “prepaid parking card or other permitted form of payment.”
While the prepaid cards “shall at all times be made available as a method of payment” the city may by order provide for other forms of payment such as Guyanese paper currency, credit cards, debit cards, and smartphone applications with integrated payment methods.
Additionally, the city may issue parking permits valid for a maximum of 180 days which confer parking privileges as determined by the city administration. Those possessing these permits will not be required to produce a prepaid parking card within the designated zones.
According to the first of nine schedules included in the bylaws, the parking region includes “all those council roads and reserves that are bounded north by Water and Young Street, continuing to the south by Parade Street then to the east by Lamaha Street, then to the South by Cummings Street, east by Forshaw Street, south by Vlissengen Road, west by Bent Street and Leopold Street, then north by Water to Young Street.”
Included in these boundaries are the entire length of major thoroughfares such as Regent Street, South Road, Brickdam, Robb Street, North Road and Church Street.
Also included are the lengths of Main and Church streets, as well as the Avenue of the Republic. In fact all the streets in Central Georgetown have been designated parking zones subject to fees and sanctions.
These zones according to the bylaws will cater for five types of parking spaces: no parking/fire hydrant zone, taxi parking zone, motorcycle parking zone, handicapped parking zone and no parking/special areas.
Cumulatively the bylaws seek to enforce general and specific measures to ensure the integrity of the Parking Meter project, which will be fully introduced in the city of Georgetown on January 9, 2017.
In a press statement, City Hall explained that under the Municipal District Councils Act, Chapter 28:01, section 304 the system to make bylaws are clearly stipulated and explained to facilitate such legal arrangements, within the municipality.
“At subsection (1) (a) the law gives the council the power to make bylaws: “for regulating any of the things which the council is empowered to do, establish, maintain, carry on, control, manage, regulate and prescribe fees, charges, licenses and permits (including the condition thereof), in respect of any such things.” Under this same law at (b) it states: “for protecting from damage or interference any council road, works or property of the council situated or being in, under or over any public place or other place within the council area,” the statement said.
Those desirous of reading the bylaws may access them at the offices of the Mayor, Town Clerk and City Constabulary from Wednesday December 28, 2016 – Monday January 10, 2017, between 09:00 hrs and 16:00 hrs.
The statement explained that at this time the bylaws are available for public inspection without payment. However, anyone, who is desirous of owning a copy of the said bylaws or of any part thereof, could obtain same from the office of the Town Clerk for the sum of $3,000.
