BAGUIO CITY – The City Council approved on first reading a proposed ordinance penalizing motor vehicle owners for non-observance of parking lines along Session road and other major thoroughfares in the city.
The ordinance authored by Councilor Lilia A. Fariñas stated that drivers who do not observe the parking lines meant to indicate where their respective vehicles should occupy as a parking space, will be penalized once they go beyond the parking lines that were put in place for such purpose.
The ordinance tasked the Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) Traffic Management Unit to enforce the explicit mandate of the proposed legislative measure and that the same has the authority to delegate its power over their assigned police personnel, traffic auxiliary, traffic enforcers and traffic beat men.
Under the proposed ordinance, when during parking, a traffic officer observes that the driver has not aligned his or her vehicle according to the parking lines, the enforcer shall make the driver aware of the presence of parking lines to be observed and thereby guide the driver and that no penalty shall apply in the said case.
When after, the driver has alighted from his or her vehicle, yet, upon apprehension or warning by a traffic enforcer, he or she deliberately leaves the vehicle, or refuses to correct his or her non-observance of parking lines, the traffic enforcer may either confiscate his or her driver’s license, or take off the vehicle’s license plates, whichever is practicable, however, in both situations, the enforcer shall issue the corresponding traffic citation ticket for obstruction.
When the vehicle owner or driver is nowhere inside, and the vehicle is parked over and beyond the parking lines, the traffic enforcer may take off the vehicle’s license plates and cite on the traffic violation ticket the non-observance of parking lines, and therefore, a violation for obstruction.
The ordinance stipulated that the existing penalty on obstruction shall apply which is presently P150 for every violation, unless the local legislative body decides to increase the said penalty for reasons of being out-dated among others.
The ordinance added that the amount of P100,000 will be appropriated by the local government for the painting of parking lines, which shall be made available upon exhaustion of the funds earlier earmarked for the said purpose.
The ordinance designated the City Engineering Office to cause the immediate painting of the parking lines, ensure the standard measurements to be applied and maintain the integrity of the painted parking lines that should be clearly visible at all times.
According to the proposal, fees in the form of penalties that have been collected arising from the prescribed violation shall accrue to the BCPO for the payment of traffic personnel instrumental in ensuring the observance of the pertinent provisions of the measure.
However, any amount above the payment of salaries for traffic enforcers shall be shared by the City Engineering Office to offset the expenses in the maintenance of parking lines pursuant to international standards so as not to create confusion among motorists parking their vehicles on the said roads.
By Dexter A. See