Río Cuarto: De Rivas promotes regulating street parking attendants instead of eradicating their activity

Mayor Guillermo De Rivas presented a project to "organize" the activity of informal parking attendants, car minders, street performers, and window washers in the city. The initiative was submitted to the City Council and proposes to establish a regulatory framework for these activities in public spaces. According to the Executive, the goal is to prevent conflicts without completely eradicating this illegal activity.

The project is based on two pillars: control and social assistance. The intervention of the Local Urban Guard and other municipal departments is planned to supervise the activity. In addition, training and opportunities for job retraining will be offered to those who require them.

The municipal administration emphasizes that not all the activity of informal parking attendants causes problems.  The objective is to address cases that disturb the peace of residents, without neglecting the vulnerability of some workers.

Criticism of the Executive's stance

The proposal to regulate rather than prohibit the activity of informal parking attendants has caused criticism from sectors that consider the measure insufficient. They argue that regulation could legitimize practices that affect civic coexistence. In addition, they point out that other cities have implemented stricter measures to eradicate these illegal activities.

In Córdoba Capital, for example, authorities have tried to strengthen (without significant results) controls over window washers and car minders, seeking to eliminate their presence in certain areas of public spaces. These actions have been supported by legislators who propose a total ban on the activity.

In Río Cuarto, it is estimated that about 80 people work as "informal parking attendants," although the number varies constantly. This is due to the increasingly frequent political legitimization of this illegal activity.

Positions in the City Council

The Primero Río Cuarto bloc expressed its support for the implementation of an ordinance to regulate the activity of informal parking attendants and street vendors. The head of the caucus, Gabriel Abrile, suggested the formation of cooperatives and the training of workers to provide them with decent employment.

Meanwhile, the La Fuerza del Imperio del Sur bloc expects to evaluate the project once it is submitted to the Council. Although they do not adopt a prohibitionist stance, they aim to understand each particular situation before making a decision.

The Executive seeks to reach a consensus with all political forces for the approval of the ordinance. The discussion in the City Council is expected to allow the project to be adjusted to the needs and concerns of the community.

The majority of residents express a clear rejection of the continued presence of informal parking attendants in public spaces. They point out that their presence is often associated with situations of pressure, extortion, and violence. They state that the payment is not voluntary and that, in many cases, those who do not pay suffer damage to their vehicles or direct threats.

They also complain that there are no security guarantees or effective control by the State. They consider that regulating the activity doesn't solve the underlying problems, but rather institutionalizes them. For them, the only valid solution is the definitive eradication of this practice, as it constitutes a tolerated form of illegality.