BACOLOD CITY – The Bacolod Traffic Authority Office has started a 45-day free parking experiment in a bid to address traffic congestion on Lacson St. here.
The measure that started September 9 was in response to the request of businessmen to provide them with free parking to enable their customers to park near their establishments.

BENITEZ (FB)
Mayor Albee Benitez said that this is being implemented from Monday to Friday from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. the next day and the whole day on Saturday and Sunday.
The BTAO said the primary aim of the experiment is to find a balance between maintaining smooth traffic flow on Lacson St., focusing on areas near restaurants.
Benitez said in a media interview that BTAO has assured that the experiment will not affect traffic flow as it is implemented after students and employees leave school and work.
He said that traffic mostly occurs during rush hour, thus, the two-hour allocation before the experiment is sufficient to reduce the traffic congestion.
“BTAO will be taking an actual footage of the traffic allow during those times on a regular basis, and they will show some data to prove the effectiveness of the experiment,” Benitez said.
The experiment starts from the old airport on Lacson St. towards areas in Barangay Bata and will end on October 24.
BTAO is not implementing clamping or towing operations during the duration of the experiment. However, individuals violating traffic rules will be penalized.
Benitez has asked BTAO to review all areas designated or identified for pay parking, towing zones, and other regulated and non-regulated parking areas in the city for public awareness.
He said that they will have to discuss and review the pay parking ordinance which was earlier approved by the City Council.