BRIEFS: Public works

Parking within cinta costera could carry a fee

The Municipio de Panamá is considering the idea of charging for parking within the Cinta Costera, according to Carlos Ho, director of Special Projects for the Ministerio de Obras Públicas (MOP).

On Sept. 22, MOP officials announced that the coastal strip project and underground parking lots would be national assets of public interest. Moreover, MOP authorized the Ministerio de Economía y Finanzas to grant concessions for the construction and operation of the above-ground parking lots.

At that time, Ho said that the 1,200 parking spaces included in the project will be available to the public free of charge, an offer echoed by MOP viceministro Luis Manuel Hernández, who added that the only concessions given will be for the 300 underground parking spaces that the Miramar Development Corp. have proposed, and about 35 spots adjacent to the Plaza Paitilla Inn.

Those concessions were granted as compensation for the inconvenience caused to the nearby hotels by the Cinta Costera project.