BAGUIO CITY – The City Council approved on third and final reading a proposed ordinance implementing a synchronized system of collecting pay parking fees in all parking facilities in the city.
The ordinance authored by Councilor Benny Bomogao states all parking facilities in the city which charge parking fees shall collect fees only upon exit or when the vehicle is already safely parked.
The ordinance adds the provisions of the proposed measure will apply to all pay parking facilities in the city.
Under the proposed ordinance, all existing parking facilities covered are given 3 months for the effectivity of the measure to comply with its pertinent provisions and that the authorized office in charge of traffic management shall implement and monitor faithful compliance to the same.
The ordinance stipulates the amount of P5,000 shall be assessed to the owner or proprietor of the parking facility after the lapse of the compliance period plus P1,000 daily fine until full compliance has been made by the erring pay parking operator, provided that, the parking facility owner, proprietor, manager, any of its officers or cashier should have been furnished a copy of the approved measure by the authorized office in charge of traffic management.
The ordinance explains that it has been observed that some pay parking areas and facilities in the city are reportedly collecting fees before a vehicle enters the parking facilities causing long queues of motor vehicles resulting to congestion in the main thoroughfares leading to the said facilities.
The ordinance underscored the need for the city government to impose a policy for all pay parking facilities in the city to collect the prescribed parking fees only upon the exit of a vehicle from the parking facility to help reduce traffic congestion.
Based on the provisions of the proposal, parking facility refers to a parking area or structure having parking spaces for more than 2 vehicles at which motor vehicles are permitted to park in return for an hourly, daily, or other periodic fee, whether publicly or privately owned, but does not include parking spaces on a public street while entrance refers to an in-lane cashier station or booth in the entry lane to a facility that may be used to collect payment for parking, dispense token, ticket, or other items indicating time of entry or validity of vehicle, or detect permits or other permission to enter and exit refers to a way out of a parking space, also called exit station into which a customer pays parking fee before allowed to move out.
The proposed city legislative measure was referred by the members of the city legislative body to the committee for study and evaluation and action.
The ordinance will still be subjected to the required public hearings by the concerned committee where it was referred before the same will be calendared for council deliberations.
By Dexter A. See
