Welcome return of city wreckers

THE EDITOR: It's been several months since his appointment and I've been cajoling the mayor of Port of Spain to treat with a host of major issues affecting the aesthetics of the city.

One that is just about to burst at the seams is the parking craze and chaos.

Maybe it took the obstruction of the then acting prime minister's entourage while he was on his way to Parliament to recognise that people seeking free parking had jammed each and every street.

There was no way to get through the traffic and the left and right sides of the road were packed with cars, so the entourage just sat there like the rest of us, annoying people with the loud whoop, whoop of police sirens for no reason.

Whether it was the TTPS, the garbage truck or a council member late for a luncheon meeting, I am relieved that the Port of Spain corporation has reinstated wrecking come June 1.

There are so many good parking lots available throughout the city. In particular, there should be no public parking around the Central Bank Towers, which quickly floods whenever rain falls. Imagine this: employees of the Central Bank and adjacent ministries park their shiny, fancy cars all over, bumper to bumper, while there is an empty parking lot right nearby.

They can afford to purchase the fancy, expensive rides, yet don't want to shell out $1,000 per month to park in the parking lot and free up the roadsides for pedestrian use.

On numerous occasions, I have seen a Ministry of Finance-marked RAV 4 SUV parked on the side of the zebra-crossing intersection of Independence Square and St Vincent Street. Disgraceful!

In fact, if you check, it's police officers who are stealing a free park outside the Queen Street side of the Industrial Court, it's Education Ministry officers stealing park space on Edward Street, all of this while the Parkade has loads of available space.

It's not uncommon to be obstructed from RBC straight to the Wrightson Road turn, on every side of Independence Square, by vehicles parked on a lane that has an arrow indicative of its being supposed to be a free road. This is just the cheapskate attitude of people who want expensive cars yet don't want to pay for carpark space – at the expense of other road-users.

There is also a nuisance PH taxi stand which has spuing up on lower Chacon Street, which takes away business from legitimate taxi drivers. It is not uncommon for people to absolutely block Frederick Street by selling items from the trunk of their parked cars and if you complain to them about their bad parking, you risk being bullied.

I think the fine of $500 for a wrecked vehicle should be for a first offence and the fine increased for repeat offenders in order to break this bad habit.

In addition, I am hoping that when the owner comes to collect his wrecked vehicle, it is examined to ensure its inspection sticker is current, the driver has been breathalysed, has no outstanding warrants, the car is carrying legal-level tint and is roadworthy.

After all, I don't expect the TTPS to allow an unsafe vehicle to be released from their custody. In so doing, the police will be fighting crime as easy as that. Make it make sense.

LINDA CAPILDEO

St James