Mandaue City official wants to get rid of ‘illegal parking areas’

THE Mandaue City Council yesterday approved on first reading a resolution that aims to decongest traffic caused by vehicles illegally parked along the sidewalks.

The ordinance seeks the prohibition of any person or establishments from converting a portion of public streets including sidewalks into parking spaces.

The resolution, authored by Councilor Emmery “Lolypop” Ouano-Dizon, is scheduled for second reading on Wednesday next week.

The resolution prohibits “person, owner or operator of establishment, business, banks, residential dwellers to use as private parking spaces any public streets, alleys, open spaces, boulevards and rotundas.”

The ordinance also prohibits the putting up of “reserved for parking” or signages along the sidewalks since it causes obstruction, said Ouano-Dizon.

Ouano-Dizon said public areas that were converted in parking spaces can be seen most in barangays Tabok, Basak, Ibabao-Estancia, Maguikay and Centro.

Ouano-Dizon said barangay officials and personnel from Traffic Enforcement Agency in Mandaue will be the implementing agency.

She said once the resolution is approved, the Committee on Transportation and the traffic board will be asked to study where the establishments could have their parking spaces.

Violators will be fined P1,500 for first offense, P3,000 for the second offense and imprisonment of not less than three months but not more than six months or P5,000 for the third offense. /REPORTER JUCELL MARIE P. CUYOS