Motorists are paying more to park while reports of job losses raise fresh questions about employment security at state-owned UDeCOTT.
The Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago (UDeCOTT) increased monthly parking fees at the Government Plaza Parkade in Port of Spain by $50, effective September 1, 2026.
According to a Trinidad Guardian report published on August 28, reserved monthly parking increased from $600 to $650, while VIP parking rose from $700 to $750.
UDeCOTT justified the changes as part of efforts to improve customer experience and parking efficiency, replacing individually assigned spaces with a more flexible reserved parking system.
Now, reports that parkade workers have been terminated raise a different concern: How can customers be asked to pay more while employees face losing their livelihoods?
The number of affected workers, the reasons for their reported termination and the arrangements for severance or other benefits remain unconfirmed.
Although the parking increases and reported job losses have not been shown to be directly connected, their timing raises legitimate questions about UDeCOTT’s operational priorities.
Higher fees may improve revenue, but what does greater efficiency mean if workers are losing their jobs?
As a state-owned enterprise, UDeCOTT should explain whether the reported terminations form part of restructuring, cost-cutting or changes to parkade operations.
For motorists, the price of parking has gone up. For affected workers, the potential cost is their livelihood.