Dear Editor,
The Mayor & City Council should consider a smarter alternative to collecting more revenue, than by what is considered by many as an ill-conceived, burdensome and expensive parking meter venture for a small return, even if all the meters are fully used. The negotiating brains in the city council should have explored the best possible options for revenue generation, and after careful study, canvassed the views of the consuming public, residents and businesses in the city. This should have been the decision of a duly constituted full council meeting.
Here is an option: the city council should negotiate with central government for a subvention to cover the estimated net income from the parking meters. Government can institute a small increase in the price for each gallon of fuel, collected up front from the few distributors for this venture. This small increase in the price for fuel can be extended to the entire country as vehicles use and park in other cities and along public roadways. This can contribute to the subventions for other municipalities and regional councils. This is a more equitable solution. The parking meters should therefore be abandoned along with Smart City Solutions. The same negotiators of the council should negotiate the scrapping of this venture.
It is also proposed that the annual motor vehicle licences be abolished, and that the accurate estimate of net revenue from motor vehicle licences be covered by a small increase on each gallon of fuel. This can be collected at source from the few distributors. The control and regulation concerning motor vehicles will reside in the registration and annual road fitness.
The revenue under these proposals will be garnered easily without the additional cost of personnel time, materials and administration, added to which there will be considerable savings in the productive time of all drivers and those purchasing these licences.
Let good common sense prevail; bite the bullet, and take the right course of action in the interest of all.
Yours faithfully,
Samuel J Goolsarran
