7 News Belize

Mayors Says Parking Meters Are Here To Stay
posted (January 24, 2023)
Early last year, parking meters were introduced in Belize City - specifically on Albert Street and Barrack Road. It was met with many complaints - particularly from business owners who said that potential customers didn't want to pay extra to use their services.

But if you ask the mayor, the pilot project went swimmingly, and he plans to expand it - after continued consultations. But he added that the entire point is about equity in regards to the limited parking spaces in the busiest areas of the city.

Bernard Wagner, Mayor of Belize City
"Of course we'll continue the consultations but clearly the pilot project worked pretty well for us in respect to the parking meters on Albert Street, if you would have visited the downtown area during the Christmas season, so many of our residents in the season had the opportunity to participate and take that space which is a city space and use it in an equitable fashion so we are very pleased with the pilot project and we do have plans to really expand it. Of course, not without first consultation."

"The point is, we have to, like I told you from the beginning, we have to be able to share the spaces in the city equitably between all residents. It can't be a situation where a taxi would be holding up an entire parking space for the entire day or someone who works at a firm close to the parking area hold up that space for the entire day, it has to be served for all residents of the city and that is our genesis behind parking meters."

Reporter:
"We know that the business owners on the entertainment strip on Barrack Road, they had initially complained that this was messing up their business, have you continued consulting with them privately on this matter to see how it has affected them?"

Bernard Wagner, Mayor of Belize City
"We have and we understand that that area might be a bit, it might have to tweak a bit to facilitate business in that area but again we go by our data that we have collected and there's no way that business losing, reduction in the business has anything to do with the parking meters."

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