Audit of Baguio barangay parking areas ordered

By Dexter A. See

BAGUIO CITY – The City Engineering Office (CEO) was tasked by the city government to audit the designated and identified parking areas in the different barangays to ascertain whether or not the designated barangay parking areas are being used for the prescribed purpose.

            The proposed audit on the designated and identified barangay parking areas was an offshoot of the discussions that transpired among department heads during the regular management conference meeting at the City Hall multipurpose hall.

            Because of the Anti-road Obstruction order that was issued by the previous administration, several barangays in the city identified the designated parking areas in their respective areas of jurisdiction to prevent their constituents from waywardly parking their motor vehicles along narrow roads that constrict the smooth flow of traffic in their roads.

            The CEO was directed to come out with a detailed report on the status of these designated parking areas in the different barangays so that the city government will take the appropriate steps on the results of the audit.

            Based on the Anti-Road Obstruction order, barangays are empowered to enact their respective barangay parking ordinances subject to the confirmation of the city legislative body that will also authorize the barangay to collect parking fees from parked motor vehicles aside from the deputation of concerned barangay officials who will serve as barangay traffic and parking enforcers on anti-road obstruction.

            The collected parking fees from the designated parking areas in the different barangays and the 70 percent share of the barangays from apprehended illegally-parked motor vehicles will serve as an added income for the various barangays that will help increase their internally generated resources.

            The city government urged the different barangays to maximize the use of their designated parking areas for their resource-generation efforts and for concerned barangay officials to look into the complaints of their constituents on their established barangay parking areas so that unnecessary obstructions in city and barangay roads will be minimized, especially at night, so as not to compromise emergency response needed by their constituents.

            Previously, the city government tapped the services of deputized barangay officials to help in strictly implementing the anti-road obstruction order since illegally parked motor vehicles on the sides of national, city and barangay roads often contribute to traffic congestions in the different barangays.

            Some small barangays in the city were not able to designate barangay parking areas due to their limited areas of jurisdiction but they were able to strictly impose the needed discipline among their constituents who own motor vehicles.