Monday, March 05, 2007 Mayor mulls permanent parking ban on city streets By Rimaliza Opiña
FINDING that the parking ban at Session Road helped ease traffic congestion, acting Mayor Reinaldo Bautista Jr. said the prohibition would not only be expanded but plans to make this permanent is being thought of at the moment.
Bautista said the parking ban would also extend to adjacent streets like Assumption Road, Mabini Street and General Luna Road. He said this is also to unclog the streets that are experiencing heavy traffic as a result of Session Road's overflow.
Making the parking ban permanent might be brought to the City Council for ratification, Bautista said, although the plan would take time because the City Government also has to address a proposal on the construction of a multi-level parking zone.
He, however, said that in the meantime, reservation of parking spaces is prohibited, stressing that building owners have to provide parking spaces for their tenants.
The parking ban at Session Road, which was imposed immediately after the cancellation of the Pay Parking Ordinance, ended on February 28.
The City Council committee on laws, meanwhile, was asked earlier to schedule a public hearing and call on experts in the field of infrastructure and traffic management to share their insights on several multi-level parking proposals.
The plan was hatched following the Burnham Park Management Authority's (BPMA) rejection of the proposal to construct the structure in the park.
The BPMA said the City Government may pursue the multi-level parking but not within the park's territory, stressing that high-rise structure could not be put up at the Burnham Park.
