It has long been a discussion in the Philippines, and here we are again. The push for presenting proof of having a parking slot or slots for vehicle owners to use has again been put on the House table. Illegally parked vehicles have long been seen as a source of traffic congestion and Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Jay Velasco wants to address this problem.
No parking, no vehicle registration
The MMDA and several LGUs have ramped up apprehensions of illegally parked vehicles. That is leaving a motor vehicle anywhere else outside one’s personal property and blocking or obstructing the flow of traffic along roads and streets.
Photo: Congressman Lord Allan Jay Velasco Facebook Page
In House Bill No. 31, Rep. Velasco stated that owning an adequate garage or parking space for anyone intending to buy a motor vehicle will be a requirement before any purchase. The Bill also states that the Land Transportation Office (LTO) must verify if the new and existing vehicle owners indeed comply with the requirement. Simply put, no parking, no vehicle purchase, and no vehicle registration.
The coverage of the Bill doesn’t end there. Also included in its provisions is if a vehicle owner is allowed to register even without having his or her own parking slot, then the registration will be revoked. A fine of PHP 50,000 will also be collected, and the owner will be prohibited from registering any vehicle with the LTO for 3 years.
For those of you who might live in areas where two-sided sidewalk parking is prevalent, do you think this is a solution that might actually work? How do you think a Bill like this – if and when passed into law – can be made better? Let us know in the comments below. We’re pretty sure a lot of you have a lot of thoughts about this.
The bill should be amended to require persons who want to own a motor vehicle to show proof that the person is a registered owner of a family home be it a condo, townhouse or single detached house and lot with parking area. This will prevent people from prioritizing buying a car instead of investing in a residential house.