Baguio eyes parking ban on Session Road

Noting the "success" of a parking ban in easing traffic congestion along Baguio City’s Session Road, city officials are eyeing making the ban permanent. Sun-Star Baguio (www.sunstar.com.ph) reported Monday that acting Baguio City Mayor Reinaldo Bautista Jr is also eyeing expanding the parking ban. Bautista said the parking ban would also extend to adjacent streets like Assumption Road, Mabini Street and General Luna Road, to unclog the streets experiencing heavy traffic as a result of Session Road’s overflow. He admitted, however, that making the parking ban permanent would take time because the City Government also has to address a proposal on the construction of a multi-level parking zone. In the meantime, he said reservation of parking spaces is prohibited, adding that building owners have to provide parking spaces for their tenants. The parking ban at Session Road, which was imposed immediately after the cancellation of the Pay Parking Ordinance, ended on February 28. The City Council committee on laws was asked earlier to schedule a public hearing and call experts in infrastructure and traffic management to share their insights on multi-level parking proposals. The plan was hatched following the Burnham Park Management Authority’s (BPMA) rejection of the proposal to construct the structure in the park. The BPMA said the City Government may pursue the multi-level parking but not within the park’s territory, stressing that high-rise structure could not be put up at the Burnham Park. - GMANews.TV