Proof of parking bill, useful in emergencies, too – lawmaker

MANILA, Philippines – A proposed bill that seeks to require potential car buyers to first provide proof of parking space will not only decongest Metro Manila’s roads, but it will also ensure that side streets would be free of obstructions during emergencies, a lawmaker said.

Valenzuela City Representative Sherwin Gatchalian on Wednesday, September 23, told the House committee on transportation that his proposed House Bill 5098 or the “Proof of Parking Space Act” intends to put order and discipline on the roads. 

Filed in 2014, the proposed measure requires potential car buyers to first prove that they have their own parking space before they are allowed to buy a new vehicle and register it with the Land Transportation Office (LTO).

By requiring car owners to provide their own parking spaces, vehicles won’t have to occupy road space and clog side streets that are increasingly being used by motorists to escape heavy traffic on major thoroughfares, Gatchalian said.

Removing obstructions on the road will also speed up response time for disaster teams in case of emergencies, he added.

“For instance, when there’s a fire, fire trucks can’t pass because there are vehicles parked on side streets….The bill intends to put side streets as part of the metro’s disaster preparedness program,” Gatchalian said.

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Once illegally-parked vehicles are cleared from these side streets, more motorists would use these shortcuts instead of plying EDSA, said Chief Superintendent Arnold Gunnacao, director of the Philippine National Police-Highway Patrol Group (HPG).

The HPG is currently on its third week of directing traffic along the major thoroughfare, following an order from President Benigno Aquino III to solve the worsening traffic woes of the Philippine capital region. (READ: Proposed traffic solutions: Regulate car sales, relocate industries)

But while Gunnacao welcomed Gatchalian’s bill, he also raised his own suggestion: Why not make car dealers responsible too?

Instead of requiring proof of parking space during motor vehicle registration at the LTO, Gunnacao suggested that the affidavit be presented to car dealers before potential buyers are allowed to make a purchase.

Gatchalian believes his proposed bill would “not necessarily” hurt the automotive industry, which, during the first quarter of 2015 alone, already hit the 60,000 mark in sales.

“This proposed bill will benefit everyone. What good can we get if they get more sales but we don’t move forward?  We’re finding solutions, innovative ways to help alleviate traffic,” he said.

Meanwhile, Albay 3rd District Representative Fernando Gonzalez expressed reservations about the proposed measure, saying that it would be better to designate parking and no-parking zones instead of limiting car buyers. – Rappler.com