(Image Credit: DiarioUno.com)

In Lima, Peru, the districts of Barranco, Pucusana, Punta Hermosa, Lurín, Punta Negra, Santa Maria del Mar, Chorrillos and Ancón were recently authorized to charge for parking on their beaches. Parking is in short supply in high season, which runs from the Christmas holidays through May.

This step was taken due to traffic congestion issues and to help fund general health and safety measures needed at beachside. The muncipality also sought to wrest control of prime parking spaces near the beach from homeowners and freelance “franaleros”, who sell access to spaces in return for vehicle “protection”.

La Defensoría del Pueblo (En: the Ombudsman’s Office) recently reminded the public that paid access to public parking spaces was only authorized in those specific districts and only to the communities involved. Ordinances were specifically published for those neighborhoods legalizing the collection.

The Ombudsman also noted that during two recent inspections some homeowners were still blockading spaces in front of their homes without authorization. Some were “saving” the spaces for themselves; others were actively marketing the spaces to the public and pocketing the revenue.

The Ombudsman urged municipalities, as well as the public, to take control of these parking areas. In the same vein as UCLA’s Dr. Don Shoup, the Ombudsman is advocating that parking funds collected be used to fund local upgrades in infrastructure and to guarantee health and safety conditions on the beaches.

“The sale of alcoholic beverages, the lack of signage of evacuation routes, the poor health conditions because of the lack of cleaning personnel or by insufficient hygienic services were also noticed”, the Defensoría said.

More info: http://diariouno.pe/2017/01/03/cobro-de-parqueo-solo-en-playas-de-ocho-distritos/

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