To prevent further traffic woes Rama: No discos in parking areas

CEBU, Philippines - Learning from what happened in the past years, Mayor Michael Rama has turned down requests of several businessmen seeking permission to allow them to hold disco events at the spaces intended for the parking area of vehicles of their customers.

City Hall public information officer Carlo Dugaduga said the mayor has rejected such requests, because converting the parking areas for disco may cause traffic congestion as the vehicles of their customers will just be parked on the road.

The management of a downtown department also asked the mayor to allow it to hold a disco at their basement garage after their business hours, but Dugaduga said the mayor referred the matter to the Office of the Building Officials (OBO).

During the past years, then mayor and now South District Rep. Tomas R. Osmeña ordered the closure of several establishments along General Maxilom Avenue because they used their parking area for events that caused heavy traffic when their customers parked their vehicles on the road.

Dugaduga said Rama does not want that such problem will be repeated this year.

   Meanwhile, the private towing companies that are hired by the City Traffic Operations Management (CITOM) were ordered to intensify the campaign against illegal parking the night before the Sinulog grand parade on Sunday.

“Sabado pa lang sa gabii magsugod na mi paghimo’g clearing operation sa mga sakyanan nga ipataka lang og parking ug kadtong ibilin diha sa parade route,” said Efren Navales, the operations officer of One Stop Towing Services.

The Road Warrior Towing Services was also instructed by CITOM to intensify the campaign against any vehicles found illegally parked in the street or sidewalks that obstruct the passage of the motorists and pedestrians.

Trailers that are parked along the parade route will be removed if they encroach the sidewalk and prevent the people to move without passing the road that is intended only for the Sinulog contingents.

Meanwhile, THE FREEMAN has observed that the beer company that already installed dozens of tables inside the oval of the Fuente Osmeña rotunda had stopped from selling their products Saturday night after Rama stood pat on his decision not to grant them with special permit.

Even if the mayor has been informed that the beer company is one of the major sponsors of the Sinulog Foundation Incorporated and selling of beer products at Fuente Osmeña is included in the package or contract, Rama said that the alcoholic beverage should not be sold in the public plaza.

Although Cebu City Ordinance 1413 prohibits the sale of beer and other alcoholic products within the 100-meter radius from the church, hospital, school and public plaza, but the mayor is empowered to issue special permits on a case-to-case basis with the payment of P6,000. — /NLQ (FREEMAN)