Secretary for Transport and Public Works Raimundo do Rosário said yesterday that the government was still studying whether to raise the parking fees of six public carparks.
Rosário made the remarks when replying to oral interpellations by lawmakers during a plenary session in the legislature’s hemicycle.
Rosário’s remarks yesterday came after the government said last October that it was planning to raise parking fees of seven “busy” public carparks with the aim of encouraging drivers to use less busy ones nearby.
In October last year, the government said that it was planning to raise the parking fees of one of the seven, Qingmao Checkpoint Public Carpark, in the subsequent month, while it was planning to raise the fees at the other six in December last year.
However, the government last month finally just raised the parking fees of the Qingmao Checkpoint Public Carpark, while the fees of the other six public carparks have not been raised.
During yesterday’s Q&A session, several lawmakers voiced their disagreement with the government’s planned fee hikes for some of the city’s public carparks.
Rosário said that it would be meaningless to consult members of the general public about the government’s proposed fee hikes for public carparks because drivers would certainly disagree even with a fee hike of just 10 avos (cents).
The policy secretary was quick to add that, indeed, the government has consulted the Traffic Consultative Council about its proposed fee hikes for public carparks, pointing out that the members of the council come from various community associations.
Rosário also noted that the government has just raised the parking fees of the Qingmao Checkpoint Public Carpark, while it was still studying whether to raise the fees of the other six, depending on the feedback and opinions from civil society.
This undated file photo shows the entrance and exit of the Qingmao Checkpoint Public Park in Ilha Verde. – Photo courtesy of TDM
