ALL establishments in Dagupan are now required to provide express lanes for senior citizens, disabled persons and pregnant women in consideration of their special conditions.

Ordinance No. 1923-2008, enacted last year, mandates all establishments catering to the public to set up express lanes so that these sectors of society can get faster service.

Required to put up express lanes under the ordinance are private and commercial establishments, especially water, telephone and electric companies, financial institutions such as banks, shopping malls, supermarkets, and commercial establishments, fast food chains and outlets, bus terminals, government offices and government-owned and controlled corporations.

For establishments with a limited space and cannot provide an express lane, the staff are required to attend to the needs of older people, persons with disabilities and women heavy with a child ahead of other customers to faithfully comply with the law.

Councilor Alfredo Quinto, chairman of the city’s Office of Senior Citizens Affairs, said posters have been distributed to all establishments for the public’s education.

All establishments that have renewed their business licenses this year with the city’s One-Stop-Shop were already given copies of the ordinance, which specifies the following fines for violators: P3,000 for the first offense and subsequent violations shall be imposed fines of not more than P5,000 and imprisonment at the discretion of the court.

Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez, presiding officer of the city council, hailed the ordinance saying this will provide convenience to senior citizens, disabled persons and pregnant women.

Fernandez, head of the CSI group of companies, said stores in her shopping malls have already set up express lanes.—LM

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