Racked by weeks of boycotts, protests and court action aimed at scuttling it, the Georgetown Metered Parking Project will resume on Monday with an easing of enforcement measures and lower, tiered rates to be implemented once amended bylaws are approved and gazetted.
Motorists will also now be able to use purchased time at any metered space. Monday will provide a key test as to whether motorists have changed their views about the project.
At a press conference yesterday, Smart City Solutions (SCS) Director of Business Develop-ment Amir Oren said that while there has been no change to the costs attached to sanctions under the contract there will be a 15-minute grace period afforded to motorists and a one month “adjustment period.”
He said that a motorist who purchases one hour of parking time and parks at 1 pm will not be subject to the widely criticised immobilization/booting until 2.15 pm. This grace period has been granted in response to several complaints received that SCS staff had been booting cars immediately after the expiration of the time on the parking receipt or even before the expiration of this time.
Additionally, motorists will not be required to pay a booting fee for one month from Monday. This, according to Oren, is an “adjustment period” during which time vehicles booted for non-payment of parking fees will be required to pay only the parking fee and nothing else.
Under this system, a motorist booted at 2.15 pm who claims their vehicle at 3:15 pm is only required to pay the $200 plus VAT for the use of the space in that time.
After this month, there will be for six months a 50% reduction in the booting fee. During that period persons booted will be charged $4,000 plus VAT for the release of their vehicle. The booting fee remains $8,000 plus VAT, the full sum of which will be charged in October, 2017.
Booting for violations other than failure to pay for metered parking will during this seven-month period cost motorists $4,000 plus VAT. These violations include parking infringements such as double parking, parking in front of a fire hydrant or parking on a turn.
Additionally, motorists will no longer have to pay for the use of a particular parking space; rather, they will be paying for parking time for their particular cars.
“Motorists may purchase any amount of parking time and then move from any parking space to any other parking space anywhere in the city for the amount of time purchased on the single parking ticket until its expiry,” Oren explained.
While the preceding changes will be implemented on Monday, other changes will be implemented after the parking bylaws are amended to reflect the measures.
Town Clerk Royston King explained that the amendments are presently being drafted and will be presented to the full council within 7 to 10 days.
If passed and approved by the Minister of Communities, the amendments will provide for a two-tiered payment system with short-term parking carrying a different cost than long-term parking.
Short-term parking rates remain $50 plus VAT for 15 minutes. However, the metered parking fee for all motorists who purchase parking for 8 hours or more will be reduced to $25 plus VAT per 15 minutes.
Since the fee for 15 minutes to 4 hours remains the same, anyone paying for 4 hours at the current rate will automatically be credited with 8 hours. Parking over 8 hours to 12 hours will cost motorists between $825 and $1,200. All of these charges are subject to VAT.
Additionally, businesses may apply for monthly parking permits, which may be considered on a case-by- case basis. They may also apply for loading and offloading parking consideration as their business needs require on a case-by-case basis.
Provision has also been made for official taxis and minibuses to purchase metered parking monthly passes for $12,000 a month plus VAT and for residents to apply for residential parking permits.
