BAGUIO CITY – The City Council approved on first reading a proposed ordinance designating parking spaces for persons with disability (PWDs) in all buildings, business establishments, offices and all similar structures in the city required by law to provide parking spaces and providing for penalties for violators.
The ordinance authored by Councilor Elaine D. Sembrano stated all businesses establishments, offices, buildings or any similar structures open to the public in the city required by law to provide for parking spaces are mandated to designate parking slots for vehicles driven by persons with disability (PWDs) and for vehicles carrying a PWD and a customer or client of the establishment and said office.
Under the proposed ordinance, buildings and business establishments shall provide parking slots for PWDs based on the following ratio: 1-25 parking slots – 1 slot for PWD; 26-50 parking slots – 3 slots for PWD, 51-75 required parking slots – 4 slots for PWDs, 76-100 required parking slots – 5 slots for PWDs, 101-150 required parking slots – 6 slots for PWDs, 161-200 required slots – 7 slots and for every additional 50 parking slots, an additional 1 PWD parking slot is mandated to be allocated.
The ordinance added PWD parking slots shall be located in an area nearest to the main entrance or to the exit of the parking facility and shall have sufficient space for a person to transfer from the vehicle to a wheel chair and away from ramps and curbs to facilitate mobility.
It stated the designated PWD parking slots shall be properly identified either through a signage stating it as “Parking Slot for PWD’ or a painting in yellow with black stripes of a wheel chair over the parking pavement designated as such.
No person apart from those identified in the ordinance shall occupy or block any of the designated PWD parking slot or allow or approve the use of the parking slot by unauthorized person, except, during emergency cases such as medical, fire, calamity or any similar event where the movement or parking of emergency vehicles is of utmost necessity.
The ordinance revealed a PWD driving a vehicle or a driver with a PWD passenger shall present to the parking attendant the valid PWD identification card issued by the City Social Welfare and Development Office to avail of the PWD parking slot and that the ID card shall be displayed inside the vehicle visible to the public.
If an unauthorized vehicle is found obstructing, standing or parked in the parking slot allocated for PWDs, the ordinance stated the parking attendant or the building or establishment manager or owner shall be authorized to remove or cause the removal or transfer or towing of the said vehicle to the proper parking space. Any towing charge shall be shouldered by the concerned vehicle owner or driver.
Any person found violating the provisions of the ordinance shall be subjected to a reprimand for the first offense, a fine of P2,000 for the second offense, P3,000 and 8 hours community service for the third offense and a fine of P5,000 or imprisonment of not more than 30 days or both upon the discretion of the court for the fourth offense.
By Dexter A. See
