City acts on complaints vs P50 IT Park parking rate
Amid complaints of “exorbitant” parking fees collected at the Cebu IT Park in Barangay Apas, Cebu City, Mayor Tomas Osmeña now wants the city to operate its own parking area there.
But in order to do so, the city needs the approval of the Cebu provincial government to use a province-owned vacant lot in front of IT Park facing the Honda building along Salinas Drive which is presently not being used.
“It has been reported that the parking fee charged is as high as P50 per hour…I am willing to discuss terms, in such a way that the province will benefit from its income, and at the same time, we will be able to help our BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) employees who will utilize the parking area,” read the mayor’s letter to Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III.
The letter was received by the governor’s office yesterday.
Osmeña assured that the city will charge a much lower rate than the P50 charged by parking operators in the area.
In pay-parking facilities currently operated by the city government, only P20 is collected by the Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO).
In a post in his Facebook page, the mayor said the city’s target parking fee in IT Park will only be P20 for every 12 hours.
“I cannot control how much a business wants to charge, but I can give them a little competition so they can no longer monopolize the service,” he said, adding that he hopes his move will encourage the management to lower their fees.
Osmeña also planned to go after two pay-parking operators in IT Park for having no business permit and for not paying taxes even though 50 pesos is being charged for parking.
“Show cause orders have been sent and unless they have a VERY good reason, closure is imminent,” he said in an FB post.
November last year, the I.T. Park association decided to increase parking fees from P20 to P50 for the first five hours and P10 for every succeeding hour. They said the move was meant to encourage employees to use available parking spaces in their respective buildings instead of open areas or the roadside to help decongest traffic.
Some of the pay-parking areas are managed by the IT Park association while others are managed or rented by locators and building owners there.
Cebu IT Park is managed by Cebu Property Ventures and Development Corporation (CPVDC), an Ayala affiliate.
Osmeña’s executive assistant, Francisco “Bimbo” Fernandez, said the city plans to develop and operate the area using its own equipment and funds. All revenue, he said, can go entirely to the province.
Davide welcomed the mayor’s proposal which will be subject to the approval of the Provincial Board.
“I was made aware of Mayor Tommy’s proposal… He asked me if he can use the province-owned land right across Waterfront Hotel, and I said sure, why not?” Davide said. /with correspondent MOREXETTE MARIE ERRAM
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