Caption: Gregory Aboud

By Alicia Chamely

WRECKING is soon to commence within the Downtown Business District, Port-of-Spain.

On Thursday the Port of Spain City Corporation released a public notice advising that wrecking operations for unauthorized or improperly parked vehicles will start from Monday.

The notice stated wrecking would be enforced in the Downtown Business District and all wrecked vehicles would be stored at the South Quay Car Park Facility.

Motorists were warned that compliance with all parking regulations was mandatory.

Commenting on the recommencement of wrecking, President of the Downtown Owners and Merchants Association (DOMA) Aboud criticised the plan, noting there were no clear parking regulations in the city and argued the move would continue to deter visitors to the capital.

In a statement, Aboud said “Port of Spain does not have clearly defined parking regulations. We have made this point repeatedly, including in recent meetings with the new minister. We desperately want to discuss a parking plan and an agreed-upon, mutually beneficial set of rules that ensures smooth traffic flow while also providing convenience for shoppers in the city.”

Aboud continued, “A quick drive through the city of Port of Spain shows what we are talking about. Buildings for sale or rent highlight the lack of attractiveness to customers. This is not a new issue. Wrecking now feels like squeezing the last ounce of juice out of an orange that has already been squeezed many times.”

Wrecking in downtown Port of Spain had been historically inconsistent with the programme having started and stopped at various times.

For the past several years wrecking in downtown Port of Spain had been suspended. There were plans to restart wrecking in 2022, however it was halted due to complaints from businesses in the area.

AZP News reached out to Port of Spain Mayor Chinua Alleyne, however, calls and messages were left unanswered.