Doma suggests metered transport for city centre

President of the Downtown Owners  and Merchants Association (Doma) Gregory Aboud has said he does not support the concept of ‘park and ride.’ Instead Aboud proposed metered taxis be allowed to enter the city. Aboud was speaking yesterday to members of the media after a meeting with Local Government Minister Suruj Rambachan at Nicholas Towers in Port-of-Spain. But Port-of-Spain mayor Louis Lee Sing, who was not invited to be part of the discussions, said Aboud’s idea of metered taxis was initially proposed by him (Lee Sing). “Mr Aboud is merely echoing a comment I made two weeks ago when I proposed metered taxis enter the city to assist residents of St James and Woodbrook with transportation,” Lee Sing added. Saying parking in Port-of-Spain was assisting businesses because it was allowed, Aboud said business owners could not survive without parking. “The customers need somewhere to park and parking is extremely restricted in Port-of-Spain because there are not enough parking lots,” Aboud added.

He said at one time the area spanning the Brian Lara Promenade to the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception used to be a parking lot. “In developed societies governments provide municipal parking...there is no debate about that. “The point about park and ride is it is not really desirable to us. We don’t personally feel that park and ride would work because as far as shoppers are concerned why park and ride to a destination when they could drive to another destination and get what they want,” Aboud said. Saying he accepted the ‘good intentions’ the Port-of-Spain Corporation had for the city Aboud said a better concept was organised municipal transit. “Port-of-Spain is a city that used to have a tram car and now Port-of-Spain barely allows taxis into the city. “We would also like to discuss the concept of metered taxis into Port-of-Spain. We believe the concept of converting “PH” cars into metered taxis this would greatly assist with transportation in and around the city of Port-of-Spain,” Aboud added.