City Will Institute New Parking Rules In Wake of Suit

The Cambridge City Council is expected to stiffen its parking regulations Monday, to keep students from obtaining parking permits for cars registered in other cities or towns.

George Teso, head of the city's traffic department, said earlier this week that the new regulations come in response to a recent attempt by a student to gain a parking permit.

The unidentified student said he had "registered" his car with the Cambridge Police Department and sued the city for a parking permit. The court ruled that Cambridge statutes defined only vaguely the meaning of registration and awarded the student a permit, Teso said.

As a result, the regulations will be changed to define place of registration as the city in which a motorist pays auto excise taxes and "principally garages" his automobile, Teso and other city officials said.

Under the new regulations, students with cars registered in other cities would not be able to obtain the off-stsreet parking permits required in many residential areas of the city.

The city council postponed the legislation for a week to review the ordinance's language, but members of the council said it will likely pass unanimously Monday.