Malls turning into firetraps, QC dads note

Attention, mall-goers! You may agree with these two Quezon City councilors who seek to bar mall managers from setting up extra stalls on the side or in the middle of walkways, since these structures not only hinder pedestrian traffic but can also pose hazards during fires or earthquakes.

Councilors Ranulfo Ludovica and Alexis Herrera noted that mall operators, when they applied for building permits, supposedly allotted these passageways for the unhampered movement of shoppers.

Blocking or narrowing them with extra stalls could therefore be considered a violation of the building code or the terms under which they applied for the permit.

“The provision for walkways in malls or buildings is a precautionary measure in case of fire, earthquake and other natural or man-made calamities,” Ludovica and Herrera said in a draft ordinance.

The proposed measure, however, still allows stalls to be set up on walkways, but only for special occasions like charity events which would require a special permit from the city government valid for a maximum of 30 days. Julie M. Aurelio