• THERESA MAE DULMAN
A new measure seeking to alleviate the financial burden on senior citizens and persons with disabilities (PWDs) has been proposed at the Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod.
Councilor Jason Villarosa has officially filed a proposed ordinance that would grant free parking privileges to the said sectors in all malls operating within the city.
Under the proposal, the parking fee waiver would apply as long as the Senior Citizen or PWD is either the driver or a passenger of the vehicle.
In a media interview, Villarosa said that malls should ideally provide complimentary parking spaces for their patrons as a basic service before resorting to paid systems.
Villarosa is set to meet with mall representatives to discuss the logistics and impact of the proposal.
To ensure the private sector’s cooperation, the proposed ordinance includes a provision for the city government to provide incentives to malls that successfully implement the free parking policy.
The move comes in response to the growing trend of shopping centers in Bacolod implementing pay parking schemes.*
