Parking ban will soon be reversed – Bruce
Lawyer Israel Bruce, one of the persons who was forced to find alternative parking after restrictions were placed on parking in the Court House yard, is of the view that the decision will soon be reversed.
Commenting on the issue on Tuesday while exiting the Solidarity Inc. Car Park on Bay Street, Bruce said while he has since switched to paid parking, which is not a hassle for him, he feels the parking lots will see a decline in revenue as more spots are taken by weekly and monthly clients.
“It really doesn’t affect me in any way.
“Apart from the fact that what I would have to pay Solidarity Inc. Car Park for parking per month and it will eat into my social contributions to the poor and underprivileged,” Bruce, an Opposition member of Parliament said.
He added that he is not sure why the Prime Minister restricted parking at the Court House yard.
“I don’t know what devil took hold of Ralph Gonsalves, he has to know what devil took hold of him.
“You can’t tell me the Cabinet of this country, with this country faced with so many problems, so many challenges, local regional and international problems impacting St Vincent and the Grenadines, that the Cabinet of a country sit down to discuss parking lot for lawyers?” Bruce questioned.
On November 17, Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves, while speaking at the opening of the new vegetable markets told lawyers it was not fair that they should get free parking in the Court House yard. He said parking would be reserved for employees of the Court.
The following day, Registrar of the High Court Andrea Young informed that parking would be restricted to (i) Persons employed at the High Court office (ii) Persons employed at the House of Assembly (iii) Current members of Parliament when there is a sitting or Parliament (iv) Counsel employed at the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions / National Prosecution Service.
Bruce told SEARCHLIGHT that he found the decision odd, since he, as a defence attorney with a matter before the High Court is not being allowed to park, while a lawyer working in the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) is allowed to park.
He also noted that jurors, who have jobs where they may have parking, now have to go to work at the High Court and are not being allowed to park on the property and must contend with other persons looking for parking in Kingstown.
“As a member of Parliament, you are told that when Parliament is sitting that you will be allowed to park inside but once the Parliament is not sitting, you not allowed to park inside.
“So it seems like when Parliament is not sitting you are no longer a member of Parliament,” Bruce said.
“It is a great degree of absurdity and stupidity and I don’t have any nice way to put it, but that is their engagement and let them engage themselves accordingly.
“I am very clear in my position…but it will impact other people in other ways…,” Bruce said while noting that the decision is not having the impact on lawyers that was expected.
“Others have come here to try and secure monthly parking, so people who used to come into Kingstown and go in there and park for their two hours now have to hustle and find parking outside of the parking lot,” he pointed out.
“This is creating problems in Kingstown, problems between the traffic police and people who have regularly gone and pay for their parking, while parking remains in the court yard where nobody can park now,” the politician said.
“So if that is the extent at which Vincentians accept nonsense, then I can’t change it, at least not now, but the nonsense will be reversed, soon.”
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