Page 7 - aruba-today-20221115

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local Tuesday 15 November 2022
Reintroduction of Aruparking leads to debate

ORANJESTAD – A survey
on social media is receiv-
ing different reactions from
the local community on
the topic of Aruparking.
Some people indicate that
the parking system needs
to be reinforced while oth-
ers thing it would be better
eliminated.

Aruparking exists since No-
vember 2014, and it is a
company belonging to
Arubus. They have 25 em-
ployees in service, divided
between parking watchers
and administrative person-
nel. Aruparking manages
more than 1,300 parking
spots in the entire area
of Oranjestad, of which
around 800 are for clients
who visit the area for shop-
ping or errands. The rest of
the spots are reserved for
employees working in the
area, who do not neces-
sarily need to park too
close because their car named to the Raad van erated hundreds of com- dle of the road and badly
stays there over eight hours There are about 80,000 Commisarissen (Supervisory ments from Facebook users parked. People don’t re-
a day. number plates in Aruba, Board) of Arubus, it was en- sharing different ideas. spect the disability spot.
of which a great portion sured that a representative “The cars of the workers in Why when you go abroad
In September 2015, imple- circulates our streets. From of the commercial sector the main street need to be you do respect it? Cura-
mentation of the Lands- information of Arupark- in Oranjestad was includ- in a parking lot dedicated çao has it and everyone re-
verordering Parkeerme- ing, there are about 960 ed, in order to express the to only them. Because spects it. It’s not Aruparking
ters (National Ordinance white parking spots (acces- wishes of business owners when you go now, there is that killed the main street,
Parking Meters) came into sible to anyone), 679 yellow in the city center. Current no place to park between but the malls that opened
force, which awarded spe- spots (reserved for workers agreemets are that the ad- 9am to 6pm. So you as a all around Aruba. That’s
cial authority of supervision in the area) and 12 for per- vice of the Raad van Com- customer need to park far what finished it. Besides, in
to a group of almost 25 Aru- sons with disabilities. These misarissen will be brought from the street and walk to the main street all clothes
parking employees. Their 1,651 spots in the city cen- to the Council of Ministers the shops. Eliminate it, but are the same, except
work varied from control- ter can barely accommo- and a way to reactivate is there a search for a solu- Mango and La Moderna.
ling compliance with the date about 2 percent of all Aruparking in its totality will tion? Arutram is supposed Another thing is that the
parking fees, to incorrectly cars in Aruba. be deliberated.” to be maintained my cruise buildings are too expensive
parked cars on the side- tourists, who each pay be- to rent out, so this killed the
walk or places forbidden “This reality means that Minister Arends hopes that fore boarding a ship. This main street, not Arupark-
indicated by a sign. parking in the center of the reintroduction of Aru- keeps the tram clean and ing.”
This system generated a Oranjestad cannot contin- parking can bring order pays the chauffeurs. We
lot of malcontent in some ue as a Wild West”, the min- in the chaotic situation of need to check with the Yet another one proposed:
sectors of the community ister said in his press release. parking in the city center government about that “Eliminate it, but at the
since it was originally imple- “Through rules and order and contribute to the de- money, and that the mon- same time find three strate-
mented, because some we can guarantee more velopment of Oranjestad ey paid for parking helps gic places where you can
people indicated that the and better mobility in the as a whole, while stimulat- those working in Aruparking build a parking garage of
parking system affected city center and other parts ing our economy and mak- and for the maintenance various levels, that you can
the economy of the city where there is commerce. ing the area more acces- of the parking lots, be- charge for.”
center, since customers did In commerce there is also sible for everyone in the cause the workers of Aru-
not have enough spots to a conviction that a well- community. parking also have a family. “Open the main street
park their cars. organized system has ben- The biggest damage has back for traffic. But in the
efits for all. It is impossible to Survey: Eliminate or rein- already been done, a lot current concept, Arupark-
Sometime later, the sys- blame Aruparking for the force Aruparking? of businesses shut down ing never worked and in
tem stopped working. But situation in which Oranjes- From the 11th of November, because the main street time became a nuisance
recently discussion began tad is right now, because the Facebook Page Survey was destroyed for too long, and even has a negative
about the reintroduction of for the last five years that Aruba published a survey and not because of the image in the community”,
Aruparking, with minister of Aruparking was not active, for the local community to pandemic. We are living in another used expressed.
Transport, Ursell Arends stat- it cannot be said that there give its opinion if the system Aruba, now,” one user ex-
ing his intention in a press was development in the of parking needs to con- pressed. In the following days this
release as “bringing order city center.” tinue in a “more effective” topic will continue be-
and accessibility to the city way, or if it needs to be de- Another commented: ing debated, while it is
center with Aruparking, He added that “it is im- finitively eliminated. “Leave it, it is very good. decided if the system will
from a chaotic to a regu- portant to mention that This way you don’t find cars stay and be reinforced in
lated system.” when new members were The post has already gen- parked almost in the mid- Oranjestad.q