No parking?

My city government announced recently the implementation of the “No parking” on streets rule. City hall initially listed several major national roads as no parking zones. Subsequently, barangays issued their own rules, designating some streets as totally no parking 24/7, some as one side parking and some allowed parking from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.

Soon, new signs were put up all over San Juan, even in the smaller side streets that are narrow and strictly only for two lanes, one car in each direction. Residents were thus hopeful that our roads would finally be clear of obstructions. This will allow emergency vehicles, especially fire trucks, to enter; there have been actual cases when the fire trucks could not reach the burning houses because parked cars prevented them from getting close to the site of the fire.

Unfortunately, all the announcements and signs have not been effective, as a drive around the city will prove. In fact, many cars park right under and in front of the “No parking” signs!

Illegally parked cars are supposed to be clamped, and owners have to pay a fine to get the clamps removed. On the first day of implementation, city officials made a big show of clamping a car on a major road.

On a street near where we live that has been designated by the barangay as no parking 24/7, three rusty, dirty cars that seem to belong to a nearby used car business have been parked for months. Last week, two of the cars were clamped, and we were relieved that finally these eyesores and obstructions would be removed. But days passed, and they were still there, clamps still attached.

After about five days, guess what happened? The cars are still there, but the clamps were removed! Your guess is as good as mine as to the reason for this.

I’m all for banning parking on the streets, especially narrow streets. But I have to wonder whether this is really enforceable, given that many of the houses have no parking at all within their premises. This is not even ningas cogon; it’s palpak from the very beginning. What a pathetic situation. — Rb Bernales, San Juan City