Lawmakers eye standardization of parking fees

Lawmakers at the House of Representatives are pushing for the regulation of parking fees in the Philippines.

In filing House Bill (HB) 5671, Representatives Paolo Duterte, Eric Yap, Edvic Yap, and Jeffrey Soriano are seeking to ensure that consumer welfare is protected.

The aforementioned proposal — filed on October 24 last year — has been pending before the House Committee on Trade and Industry since November 8, 2022.

The proposed legislature, when turned into law, shall cover all parking facilities of covered establishments for all types of vehicles. With this, owners of the covered establishments are not allowed to charge less than the rates that will be imposed.

Based on HB 5671, health service establishments such as hospitals and the likes shall provide free parking for confined patients and out-patients provided that the confined patient or out-patient has a proof of confinement or medical services were indeed availed there. Each patient can only avail one free parking slot per day. On the other hand, clients parking at the health service establishments need to pay P20 per hour.

Meanwhile, hotels, motels, hostels, inns, resorts, lodging facilities shall provide free parking for their customers. However, the customers need to provide proof of a transaction. Those who will just park in the establishment have to pay P30 per hour.

Further, restaurants, food parks, or any other establishment where food is prepared or served (which are independent from existing retail establishments) shall also give its customers free parking for the first two (2) hours if they also have a proof of transaction there. Should customers exceed the two-hour grace period, they must pay P20 per hour. Those who will just park there have to pay P20 per hour as well.

Moreover, schools (public or private), including daycare or childcare centers, preschools, nursery, kindergarten, elementary, secondary, tertiary or college, higher education institutions, universities, training institutions, and other learning facilities shall have free parking spaces for officials, employees, faculties, students, and guests.  The maximum parking fee that educational institutions may impose shall be P20 per hour.

Furthermore, customers of retail establishments shall be allowed to park free of charge for a maximum of two hours if they can provide proof of at least P1,000 worth of products or services, in not more than two transactions.

A P20 per hour or P100 per day parking fee shall be imposed if the clients have exceeded the two-hour grace period — except for those who will be subjected to overnight parking.

For independent parking enterprises, those who operate open single-level parking establishments will be given the authority to impose a rate of P30 per vehicle for the first three hours, and an additional P20 per succeeding hour but not to exceed P100 per day.

Multilevel parking Enterprises will be allowed to impose P40 per vehicle for the first three hours and an additional P20 per succeeding hour but not to exceed P100 per day, except for those who will avail overnight parking.

Also, those authorized to regulate street parking may impose a parking fee P50 per hour.

Once approved, the maximum overnight parking fee that may be imposed by any covered establishment shall be P150 per vehicle. The penalty for a lost parking ticket is P150. Aside from that, covered establishments shall refund the lost parking ticket fee when the customer returns or surrenders the parking ticket or card within 60 days from the time they used the parking facility.

Additionally, parking establishments may no longer invoke waiver of liability in case of loss of property or damage to the customer's or parking client's vehicle.

While that is the case, customers are obliged to follow parking rules and regulations, provide proof or receipt for the transaction and will only park in designated parking spaces.

To add, the establishments also need to have the following:

• Closed circuit television cameras
• Sufficient number of security guards manning the area
• A minimum four percent of the total parking slots per parking level reserved for senior citizens and persons with disabilities
• Necessary traffic signs, pedestrian crossings and markings
• Speed bumps and rumble strips
• Imposition of 20 kilometers-per-hour speed limit

Violators shall be fined with not less than P100,000 up to P300,000 per customer or suspension and even cancellation of business permits and licenses.

Photos from Ruben Manahan IV

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