Certify 'proof of parking' bill as urgent, Duterte told

MANILA - Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian on Thursday urged President Rodrigo Duterte to certify as urgent a bill seeking to require prospective vehicle owners to present proof they have a parking space.

This, after Duterte asked the interior government in his fourth State of the Nation Address last Monday to “reclaim all public roads that are being used for private ends.”

In a statement, Gatchalian said his Senate Bill No. 368 “will be a big boost to the administration’s campaign of reclaiming public roads and help ease the perennial traffic woes we are experiencing in Metro Manila.”

“I hope President Duterte will certify this bill as urgent as it is very much aligned with his vision of alleviating the constant struggles of the commuting public,” he added.

Under Gatchalian’s bill, individuals and businesses based in Metro Manila would only be allowed to purchase vehicles after the execution of an affidavit confirming that they have acquired, either through purchase or lease, a parking space for the vehicle sought to be purchased.

The bill also mandates the Land Transportation Office, the Metro Manila Development Authority, and local government units to remove illegally parked vehicles and to punish vehicle owners who refuse to comply with the law.

“Motor vehicle owners should be made responsible to provide permanent parking space for their private vehicles, whether this is made an integral part of their house or building structure, or a leased facility,” Gatchalian said.

“The street is primarily intended for vehicular or foot traffic and should not be appropriated as personal parking spaces for these vehicles.”

Based on LTO records, there were 11.6 million motor vehicles in 2018, an increase from 10.5 million in 2017.