BAGUIO CITY – The City Council approved on first reading a proposed ordinance prohibiting the unauthorized parking of motor vehicles on spaces as indicated in the plan prepared by the City General Services Office officially reserved for city officials, taxpayers, senior citizens, persons with disabilities and city hall employees at the city hall parking areas and providing penalties for violations thereof and further amending Ordinance No. 04, series of 2013.
The ordinance authored by Councilor Michael Lawana stated violations of the pertinent provisions of the ordinance shall consist of the unauthorized parking of motor vehicles on spaces reserved for city officials, taxpayers, persons with disabilities, senior citizens and city hall employees and the indiscriminate parking of motor vehicles in areas around the city hall where it is not allowed.
The ordinance provides that appropriate signage shall be painted with the names of the city officials or acronym of the office in the parking spaces reserved for them, while spaces reserved for city hall employees will be painted or marked with “City Hall Employees Parking Only” on first come, first serve basis.
As a warning to would be violators, the ordinance added signboards indicating the existence of the local legislative measure and its corresponding penalties shall be installed by the City Engineering Office.
Violation of the provisions of the ordinance shall be treated as violation on illegal parking punishable under the provisions of Ordinance No. 7,84 or the City Comprehensive traffic and Transportation Ordinance as amended by Ordinance No. 009, series of 1999.
Consequently, violators shall pay the fine imposed under Article XVI and in addition, the motor vehicle license plate or driver’s license of the violators shall be confiscated immediately upon the violation.
The ordinance pointed out the areas adjacent to the access and exit gates of the city hall drive or loop shall be free from parking of all vehicles at all times to improve the visual quality of parking areas by making them more pleasant and compatible with the surrounding environment and the newly renovated city hall grounds.
Further, pathways intended for pedestrians around city hall premises shall also be free of all vehicles.
The ordinance provides that only one government vehicle shall be allowed and allotted one parking slot for every department of city hall in the drive or loop.
Every January to March of every year during the period of renewal of various licenses before the local government, all parking slots in the city hall drive or loop except those reserved for city officials and one government vehicle for every department shall be used exclusively by taxpayers who transact business at city hall and they shall be allowed between 8 am to 5 pm.
All vehicles are prohibited to park in front of the open stage at the Baguio City hall ground while taxpayers, persons with disabilities and senior citizens who transact business at city hall are provided adequate parking spaces for a maximum of two to three hours.
City Hall visitors shall also be provided parking spaces for a maximum of two hours.
By Dexter A. See
