THE Baguio City Council passed on first reading a proposed ordinance prohibiting loading and unloading stations of public utility or service vehicles in heritage areas including City Hall and other historical places in the city.
Authored by councilor Edgar Avila, the measure covers all public utility vehicles (PUVs) in the city which may be relocated to other stations.
The ordinance also declares it a policy of the City Government to prohibit parking of PUVs for hire within the vicinity or frontage of the Baguio City Hall and other historical heritage sites.
“We have to give value to heritage and historical areas in Baguio particularly City Hall and other areas. City Hall, for one, is the symbol of government and authority yet as one observer said, we are the only local government unit that allows PUVs to load and unload passengers in its frontage,” Avila said.
Avila pointed out some of the said have unfortunately been designated parking spaces and/or loading and unloading stations for PUVs.
“This is not only unsightly but is also an affront to the historical significance of the sites, thus the same should be relocated,” Avila said.
Those who fail to comply with the proposed ordinance’s provisions shall have their franchise cancelled and penalized with a fine of P5,000 and/or six months to one year imprisonment or both upon discretion of the Court.
If the employer is a corporation, its officers and members of the board shall be held criminally liable.
Employers, who are public quasi or government corporations shall likewise incur administrative liability. Business licenses and permits issued by the city government shall also be cancelled.
The measure tasks the business and licensing division and other city government departments, bureaus and other concerned agencies to provide for mechanisms, policy, rules and regulations to implement the ordinance’s intent. (PR)