Gatchalian Refiles ‘No Parking Space, No Car’ Bill in Senate

Senator Win Gatchalian has refiled a bill seeking to implement a “no parking space, no car policy” in Metro Manila.

Gatchalian said Senate Bill No. 368, otherwise known as the ‘Proof-Of-Parking Space Act,’ would require prospective buyers of motor vehicles to present a notarized affidavit showing that they have a permanent parking space or facility for their vehicles before they could purchase one.

The affidavit shall also be a pre-requisite for the registration of their vehicles. Each and every motor vehicle shall require a separate parking space for parking.

According to Gatchalian, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) shall file the affidavit for future reference and use it as evidence against motor vehicle owners who lied about having a parking space or facility for their vehicles.

“Motor vehicle owners should be made responsible to provide a permanent parking space for their private vehicles. The street is primarily intended for vehicular or foot traffic and should not be appropriated as personal parking spaces for vehicles,” Gatchalian said.

Under the proposed measure, any individual may report to the LTO, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) or the engineering office of the concerned local government unit (LGU) any motor vehicle that is illegally parked on streets, alleys, or pathways primarily used by pedestrians and for motor vehicle traffic.

Gatchalian said motor vehicle owners who made untrue claims in their affidavit shall be slapped with a P50,000 fine for every violation of the provisions of under SBN 368. They shall also be suspended from registering a motor vehicle under their names for three years, while their current motor vehicle registration would be confiscated.

On the other hand, LTO employees who allow the registration of a motor vehicle without the required documents or have knowledge in the falsification of an affidavit attesting the availability of a permanent parking space shall be suspended from office without pay for three months.

The bill was first filed by Gatchalian during the 17th Congress on June 30, 2016, as Senate Bill No. 201.