No paid parking for teachers in front schools
Following a joint meeting between the Georgetown Mayor and City Council, Guyana Teachers Union and Smart City Solutions, it was agreed that teachers will not have to pay to park in-front of public schools.
According to a joint statement circulated and endorsed by the parties involved, the agreement came after due and special consideration of the critical and fundamental role that teachers play in the education and development of the nation’s children. As such, vehicle parking spaces immediately in-front of public schools will not be regulated for the purpose of metered parking by SCS. Additionally, according to President of the GTU Mark Lyte via a Facebook status, there will be no new parking meters placed in front of schools. He said, “Those schools where parking meters have been placed already will see them being removed. We wish to thank the Mayor and City Council along with Smart City Solutions for granting our request as a union for the removal of parking meters in front of schools.” Lyte also thanked the Deputy Mayor Sherod Duncan and Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo for their meaningful interventions in the matter. The GTU had raised concerns about the placement of meters in front of public schools even going further to conduct candlelight vigils along Main Street. Public Relations Consultant of SCS, Kit Nascimento did not clarify whether the meters would be physically removed from in front of schools. However, he did say that the instruments which have already been placed outside the schools will not necessarily regulate parking for that area. If teachers were being made to pay for parking it would have seen them paying almost $24,000 monthly at a rate of $200 per hour. In recognizing the valid concerns of the nation’s teachers, the company had decided to meet with the union to arrive at an agreement which would be beneficial to all stakeholders. Nascimento said that there were specific areas of collaboration regarding the parking meter locations discussed.
(kaieteurnewsonline)