Parking Meters Project on Hold, Mayor Wagner Explains

Back in early December, Belize City Council received its first set of parking meters as part of a pilot project. But there is a hiccup in its planned installation because it is not sitting well with some Area Reps since parking in Belize City is already hard to find. The delay, says Mayor Bernard Wagner, is in lobbying with cabinet on the amendment of legislation to accommodate the new system since there is a fee associated with it.

Bernard Wagner, Belize City Mayor

“It requires bold leaders and bold vision and whenever you are implementing any activity or initiative that involves a fee, you will have pushback. We face that currently. The parking meters are here; we require a provisional authorization letter from the ministry because it involves putting a fee on those people that will be using the parking meters. So that has its own challenges. Whenever you are implementing fee, you will have some pushback from the area reps, so that is where we stand right now with the parking meters. They are ready to be installed; they are already programmed, but we require by law that once it involves a fee that it will be passed through cabinet and through the house. I am optimistic that it will happen. We’ll have to consult with the area reps to get buy-in; that’s part of your job to sell your project, to sell your initiative. I think it is a wonderful initiative. It will bring clarity. We have many business houses that people park in front of them all day and so people who want to access those business can’t access those business. So we will require consultation with those area reps to see how we can get this off the ground.”