Paid parking for Falmouth come Monday

No. 49 Wednesday, February 03, 2010

Motor vehicle operators, who now enjoy a life of free parking on the different streets in the town of Falmouth, will see a different development come Monday, February 8 when the parish council implements its paid parking system.

   Persons will be required to pay $50 per hour to enjoy parking on the different streets in the town. Local Government Reform mandates that each Parish Council become autonomous in the collection and use of funds.
   Chairman of the Council, Councillor Colin Gager, explained that this is just one of the strategies that they plan to use to build revenue for the council. Other areas are being looked into which includes major increase in tax collection especially property tax, but at the moment they are working at the paid parking system.
   Last year, work was done to get the signs up and other markings put in place to show the various areas that have now been designated as paid parking areas.
   At the moment, this week is being used as a trial week to get persons acclimatized to the new conditions that they will soon be faced with. “Mostly all the main streets in Falmouth will have these paid parking signs with easy access to purchase the tickets nearby at some business places,” he explained. He stated that persons can begin to pay now, but no problem will arise if they do not.
   However, on Monday, things will be different when everything comes fully into effect. He further pointed out that the paid parking system would be maintained by the Municipal Police and Traffic Authority who will go around ensuring that persons parking at these locations are legal and have purchased their tickets. These tickets he noted will be available via machines similar to that of a phone card machine.
   It is expected that this move will help stem the tide of traffic congestion that has now become a part of Falmouth. On most streets persons park on two sides of the road which serves to impede traffic, but with the new move he hopes that this will regulate the parking and allow for the smooth flow of traffic in the town.
   He further mentioned that some people will be affected especially in the form of taxi operators where some will be moved from their spots in the town to side streets so as to ensure the smooth working of the paid parking system. “They will have to be moved so as to allow the thing to work and those who try to go against it will be talking to those from the Transport Authority,” Gager noted.