BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan supports the immediate passage of pending proposals in the local legislative body to increase the fine of violators of illegal parking of motor vehicles and obstruction to smooth flow of traffic so that motor vehicle owners will be disciplined to park their cars in the designated parking areas.
The local chief executive claimed that the impending increase in the fines to be imposed against owners of motor vehicles who waywardly park their cars anywhere will surely help in addressing the hard-headedness of vehicle owners in continuously violating the implementation of the city’s anti-road obstruction policy.
“We hope that our city councilors will pass the pending ordinance increasing the penalty for violators of illegal parking and obstruction so that hard-headed motorists will be disciplined in haphazardly parking their motor vehicles in areas that are not designated for parking not only in the central business district but also in the city’s one hundred twenty eight barangays,” Domogan stressed.
Earlier, some local legislators filed a proposed ordinance increasing the penalty of violators of illegal parking and obstruction from the meager P150 to P750.
However, based on the results of the public hearing conducted by the local legislative body regarding the pending proposal, various sectors in the city agreed to lower the penalty to P500, thus, the proposal will be calendared for deliberations by the local legislative body for second and third readings.
According to him, there are numerous unscrupulous motorists who willfully violate illegal parking and obstruction measures by removing the license plates of their illegally parked vehicles which leave the apprehending law enforcers or the deputized agents with no recourse in imposing the penalties against the violators.
While it is true that there are insufficient parking spaces around the city, Domogan claimed this should not be a reason for motor vehicle owners to wilfully park their vehicles in non-designated parking spaces or cause the smooth obstruction of traffic along all roads in the city.
Domogan issued several administrative orders that deputized trained barangay officials who were highly recommended by their punong barangays to strictly implement the city’s anti-road obstruction policy in the barangays following numerous complaints from residents regarding the proliferation of illegally parked motor vehicles in their areas of jurisdiction.
He admitted that one of the major problems of the local government is the availability of sufficient parking areas around the city which could be accessed by motor vehicle owners because of the influx of visitors to the city during the weekends and holidays.
Aside from compelling building owners to revert their spaces that were converted to commercial areas to their original parking slots, the local government is also contemplating on putting up multi-level parking structures in strategic areas around the city which could be used by motorists as parking areas to rid the major roads from monstrous traffic congestions due to obstructions.
By Dexter A. See
