The City Council, June 1, approved on third and final reading a proposed ordinance regulating use of certain easements within the city’s Central Business District (CBD) for pay-parking.
The ordinance authored by the aldermen ensures designation of particular roads for pay parking purposes from 6am to 9pm daily.
The easements include:
• Both lanes of Lower Session Road;
• Upper Session Road;
• Leonard Wood Road junction up to Casa Vallejo area;
• Upper Session Road – Kalaw Road junction up to Fidel V. Ramos (FVR) Gym entry;
• Whole stretch of Kalaw Road fronting Court of Appeals (CA);
• Assumption Road corner Session Road up to corner Gen. Luna – left lane;
• Whole stretch of Harrison Road to Jose Abad Santos Drive;
• Calderon Street;
• Whole stretch of Skyworld area going to Session Road;
• Claudio Street from Generica to Phoenix Café;
• Gov. Pack Road in front of Baguio Museum, front of Department of Tourism and front of Lion’s Club waiting shed to Lion’s Club entry;
• Kayang Hilltop Road – whole stretch;
• Right lane from Magsaysay Avenue from Kiltepan Merchandise up to Dian Juat Furniture; and,
• Other roads and streets that may later on be designated by the City Traffic and Transportation Management Committee (TTMC), with approval of the City Council.
Under the pending measure, all vehicles not exceeding 5-meters long will be allowed to park in designated areas.
Vehicles exempt from payment of fees include:
• Ambulances, firetrucks, or any vehicle in the official service of the military;
• Authorized vehicle used in the area for public works or works undertaken for public utilities such as electricity, water or other public undertaking;
• Vehicles directed to the parking space by law enforcers for purposes of inspection; v
• Vehicles of a diplomats or foreign dignitaries; and
• Government vehicles being used in connection with an official function in the area.
Regulatory fees for cars is P35 for the first 2 hours; 15 for every hour or a fraction thereof thereafter.
For motorcycles, P20 for the first 2 hours and P5 for very hour and a fraction thereof thereafter.
The fees shall be collected by personnel authorized and assigned by the City Treasurer.
For the said purpose, authority is granted to the City Mayor to hire as many collectors as may be necessary, on job order basis. They shall have pay equivalent to government salary grade 3.
The measure likewise provides, 25-percent of the total collected fees shall be set aside as trust fund for the benefits of collectors, supplies and other costs arising from the enforcement of the ordinance.
It prohibits using regulated easements for staging public utility vehicles; for purposes of repairing vehicles, except changing flat tires; washing cars; vending of whatever articles on vehicles parked in the area; double parking; and, others that may be determined by the TTMC.
Violators of the pertinent provisions of the measure shall be punished under the illegal parking or anti-road obstruction ordinances and other applicable laws, rules and regulations. **Dexter A. See
