On the third day of its implementation of paid parking in Georgetown, Smart City Solutions began introducing drivers to its penalty system.
Drivers who parked within designated parking zones but did not pay, returned to their vehicles to find a sticker declaring that they could be subject to a parking fine.
It further explained that they have not been fined since an “adjustment grace period is in effect” however after this period which Stabroek News understands ends on Monday, “any further violations of parking regulations shall be subject to the lawful enforcement measures”.
One of these lawful enforcement measures is “booting” which the company demonstrated in the vicinity of Muneshwer’s on Water Street later in the afternoon.
Several vehicles which had not paid the parking fee of $50 for every 15 minutes were fitted with a yellow immobilization boot.
The Georgetown Metered Parking by-laws passed by a majority of City Councillors and approved by Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan grants SCS the right to charge citizens $8,000 to release any vehicle immobilized in this manner. This fee will however not be charged until Monday.
Additionally it grants SCS the right to charge citizens a $12,000 towing fee; $7,000 impoundment fee and $7,000 storage fee for every elapsed period of 24 hours a vehicle is impounded.
In the meantime the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) seems to have achieved their objective of creating a “moving city.”
Town Clerk Royston King had previously explained to Stabroek News that it was the intention of City Hall to change the culture of doing business in Georgetown from one of lethargy to one of efficiency with traffic smoothly flowing in and out of central locations. Yesterday just as the other days during this week parking spaces were mostly empty and traffic flowed.
