Proposed ordinance that seeks to grant free parking for seniors gets support

Cebu City Councilor Rey Gealon. (Contributed Photo)

CEBU CITY, Philippines – A proposal to exempt senior citizens from the payment of parking fees received the support of businesses that heed the City Council’s invitation to a public hearing to discuss the said measure.

However, a representative of Ayala Center Cebu said that parking will only be free of charge at their establishment for the first three hours.

The corresponding parking fee will already be collected from senior citizens for the succeeding hours subject to the 20 percent percent discount that is provided for in the Senior Citizens Act.

Cebu City Councilor Rey Gealon said that malls and other commercial establishments should designate a free parking space for senior citizens so that they would no longer be burdened by the need to pay parking fees.

Gealon was the the author of the proposed “Cebu City Senior Citizens Parking Exemption Ordinance 2023” that seeks to exempt senior citizens from the payment of parking fees when visiting business establishments, malls, hospitals, clinics, or any similar establishments in the city.

The proposed ordinance, however, does not include overnight parking, valet parking, public street parking spaces, and areas or buildings that are devoted for parking and are not in any way connected with business establishments.

If the ordinance is approved, violators will be fined P1,500 for first offense and P2,000 for the second offense.  The third offense will be fined P5,000 and/or one year of imprisonment, depending on the discretion of the court.

Parking spaces

At least three of the invited guests appeared during the public hearing.  These were the representatives of Ayala Center Cebu, SM City Cebu and Tokagawa Global Corporation that offers parking management services.  But the representative from SM City Cebu did not speak during the public hearing.

“Our mall operators are supposed to provide parking spaces Mr. Chairman. These [senior citizens] are patrons with a receipt from the restaurant, from the moviehouse, or for your grocery. You are going there for a specific purpose to patronize the commercial establishment,” Gealon said during the discussion.

Gealon said malls and other establishments can ask senior citizens to present a receipt as proof of purchase together with their Identification Card issued by the Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA) in order for them to avail of the free parking privilege.

In addition, he said that parking fee should only be collected from all the vehicle owners or drivers as they are about the exit the designated parking area, not during their entry.

The representative from Ayala Center Cebu said during the public hearing that the use of their outdoor parking was free of charge.  However, a fee is collected for their indoor or basement parking.

A representative from Tokagawa Global Corporation said that their company also support Gealon’s proposed ordinance.

But Gealon said that his draft measure does not apply on the company since they cater mainly to roadside parking. | Mariele Ocubillo, CTU Intern

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