Metro Manila mayors eye higher fines for illegal parking

The Metro Manila Council (MMC) on Friday agreed to impose higher fines for illegal parking violations in a bid to instill discipline among motorists since such obstruction causes gridlock on secondary roads.

“Despite the efforts of MMDA to clear roads of obstructions, many of our countrymen are still hardheaded. This is why the MMC decided to make the fines higher to promote discipline,” said Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista, who is also the head of MMC’s special committee on traffic, during a special executive meeting of the council at Wack-Wack Golf and Country Club

Bautista said the MMC is eyeing to increase fines for unattended vehicles – or those left illegally parked without drivers – from the current P500 to P2,000; and attended vehicles – or those illegally parked but with drivers inside – from the prevailing P200 to P1,000.

All these proposals however are still subject to “public consultation,” according to Bautista.

The MMC is composed of 16 city mayors and 1 municipality mayor within Metro Manila.

Meanwhile, the towing fee for illegally parked vehicles would be unchanged, Bong Nebrija, Operations Commander of the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), said.

The current towing fee were as follows: light vehicles, P1,500; medium vehicles, P2,500; and large vehicles, P4,500.   /kga