In the municipality of Durango, authorities are working to ensure that all shopping centers and establishments comply with the Parking Regulations. An initiative is being prepared to require businesses to respect the first hour of free parking and provide a 20-minute grace period for entry and exit without payment.
Councilman Alejandro Gurrola Alcaraz stated, “Article 37 of the Durango Municipal Parking Law establishes that we have 60 minutes when purchasing goods or products, but many are not respecting this.”
He explained that the free hour is already included in the regulations, but the 20-minute grace period is what they intend to modify.
“We are not going to single anyone out for now; we are proceeding gradually. However, we want to make it clear that we will be strict about this. They must comply with the regulations, and the initiative also includes a 20-minute free grace period for customers to enter and exit,” he noted.
Regarding the Central Bus Station, which operates under a different system, the councilman pointed out that under no circumstances should a fee be charged solely for parking.
He asserted that regulations are meant to be followed and it is the responsibility of the authorities to enforce them.
Regarding the issue of parking, he noted that, according to the Municipal Inspection Department, inspections conducted so far have confirmed compliance with the free hour established in the regulations. However, some establishments are not offering this free hour because they have obtained injunctions.
The shopping centers or stores with injunctions are Sam’s Club on Felipe Pescador, Chedraui on Francisco Villa, and Plaza Punto Guadiana.
The Municipal Director of Inspection, Ubaldo Salazar Chávez, indicated that all establishments are currently in compliance, with the exception of those with injunctions; however, once their legal status is determined, the issue will be addressed.
Regarding the store located on Felipe Pescador Boulevard, which installed its own access barriers for collecting payments, he explained that it already has authorization to operate, although it has not yet begun charging.
“We will be monitoring the situation. When they start operating, we will verify that they are complying with the required free hour of parking,” he commented.
Finally, he emphasized: “We had previously issued several inspection reports to the shopping center located on Felipe Pescador for not complying with the free hour of parking. Currently, they are complying; everyone is complying.”
Source: elsiglodedurango
