Guayaquil City Council approves ordinance to regulate public parking

The Guayaquil City Council has approved a new ordinance in its first debate aimed at regulating and controlling paid public parking spaces within the canton. The proposal seeks to establish a general framework to manage these areas and promote vehicle rotation in high-demand zones.

The regulation maintains a maximum limit of four hours of uninterrupted parking and a rate of $1 per hour, which can be fractioned in $0.25 increments for every 15 minutes. This rate remains unchanged from the existing system used in sectors such as Urdesa, Kennedy, Alborada, and Puerto Santa Ana.

The initiative follows growing complaints from drivers regarding the informal occupation of public spaces. Citizens have reported individuals using cones or chairs to reserve parking spots and subsequently charging drivers for their use. The new ordinance aims to recover public space and prevent the informal appropriation of streets.

Any new implementation of paid parking will require technical justification from the Transit and Mobility Agency (ATM), including analyses of urban planning, land use, and accessibility. Additionally, the project mandates a community socialization period of at least 20 days and requires the identification of informal vendors in any areas targeted for intervention.