THE outgoing Dagupan City council passed an ordinance last week discarding the pay parking scheme and the related provision that allows towing of vehicles parked in places other than the pay parking areas.

The council repealed portions of Ordinance No. 1866 and passed during the term of come-backing Mayor-elect Benjamin Lim, designated pay parking areas in many parts of the city, prescribing penalties for violators.

According to Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez, the repeal of the ordinance fixing the rates of parking fees, providing for a sharing scheme and prescribing penalties for violators, was personally sought by Mayor Fernandez in an urgent letter to the city council dated June 8.

In his letter, the mayor noted the adverse effect of pay parking to the city and people.

City hall observers believe that the sanggunian’s move could lead to an early collision course between incoming Mayor Lim and re-elected Vice Mayor Fernandez who chairs the council.

Vice Mayor Fernandez said the way the council sees it, the repeal now permanently bars the imposition of pay parking and towing of vehicles in Dagupan, and quickly clarified that the move was intended to promote public interest.

Councilor Michael Fernandez, a member of the council that enacted Ordinance No. 1866, moved for the repeal of the said provisions.

The ordinance was not implemented during Lim’s second term of office and neither during the administration of outgoing Mayor Fernandez.

The towing of vehicles parked in no-parking zones was in effect but the pay parking scheme was not.

Vice Mayor Fernandez recalled that when the side streets identified as pay-parking areas in July 2007 purposely to start implementing the pay-parking scheme Mayor Fernandez stopped it.

The original plan provided by the city engineering office, revealed the pay parking areas were not limited along the downtown area of Dagupan but extended as far as Malta, Amado-Tapuac, Perez Boulevard, Rizal, Rivera, M.H. del Pilar, Poblacion Oeste, Pogo Chico and also covered other designated pay parking areas.

Meanwhile the city council also passed an ordinance prohibiting the setting up of any form of trade fair along Jovellanos Street just in front the St. John Metropolitan cathedral and the back of the city plaza.

Public Order and Safety Office chief Robert Erfe-Mejia said the free flow of traffic is affected if a baratillo is held that area.—LM

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