As of June 1, motorists will have to pay to park on certain streets in downtown Kingston, New Kingston, Half-Way-Tree and Cross Roads.

The Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) last Tuesday passed a resolution for paid parking to be effective on certain streets in the city as of that date.

According to Schedule A, motorists will be required to pay to park on both sides of some streets and on others, there will only be a paid parking requirement on one side of the street.

Kingston Mayor Delroy Williams told the council that a bipartisan committee would be set up to determine how payment for on street parking would be implemented.

Williams, who made reference to an article in the Economist, suggested that members of the committee read the article and, in their deliberations, look at international approaches to parking.

“It might be necessary to incorporate several of the approaches,” he argued.

He said that although currently there was no traffic congestion downtown Kingston, in view of plans to develop the city the committee should consider its likely effects.

Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Councillor Donovan Samuels (Tivoli Gardens Division); who moved the resolution, said that on-street parking would not come into effect on all the streets simultaneously. As the committee would chose the streets with which to start, he said.

Vernon McLeod, chairman of the Finance Committee, argued that on-street parking could be a strong own-source revenue option for the KSAMC.

However, People’s National Party (PNP) Councillor Andrew Swaby, (Vineyard Town Division) said that it was important that on-street parking also be viewed as a law and order issue.

Former Mayor Angela Brown Burke said that the date for on-street parking might have to be delayed, as for it to be effective, certain logistics would have to be put in place.

She said that for its implementation to be effective and seamless, it was necessary for the KSAMC to discuss the policy with businesses which already accomodate parking on some of the streets.

PNP Councillor Venesha Phillips said that to limit corruption, it would be better for the KSAMC to have a cashless system of paid parking.

Some of the streets for which paid parking downtown Kingston is proposed for both sides of the street include: King Street between Harbour Street and Tower Street, Barry Street to South Parade, North Parade to Charles Street, and Port Royal Street to Ocean Boulevard.

On Orange Street, parking will have to be paid for on both sides of the street between Port Royal and Harbour Street and Town Street and Barry Street.

In Cross Roads, paid parking is proposed for both sides of the street on Lismore avenue and Oxford Terrace.