San Juan City eyeing vacant lots as parking facilities

MANILA, Philippines – San Juan City is planning to convert idle vacant lots into parking facilities after the pay parking scheme in streets was shelved to address road congestion issues.

“Ang nakikita kong mabibigyan ng solusyon kung ang barangay magkakaroon ng mga parking facilities whether public or private for as long as wala sa kalye. May mga vacant lots na pwedeng gamitin para dito na hindi haharang sa kalye,” San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora said.

Zamora said he will appeal to vacant lot owners to convert their idle lands into parking lots.

Zamora, through an executive order, recently declared all the streets in San Juan as no-parking zones and the collection of parking fees.

MMDA chairman Gen. Danilo Lim and San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora lead the posting of “No Parking” sign as the city implemented the Executive Order No. FMZ-007, an order suspending pay parking in all the streets of the City of San Juan, starting on Monday, August 5, 2019. Morcoso/INQUIRER.net

“Ang gagawin natin, lahat ng may-ari ng vacant lot sa San Juan, ipupulong natin ito at bibigyan natin sila ng pagkakataon na i-convert ito [vacant lot] into parking facilities,” Zamora said.

Zamora assured lot owners that they will receive incentives such as lowering the price of permits needed for the vacant lot.

“In coordination with our city administrator, we are giving them incentives of lesser fees to pay sa kanilang taxes kung sakaling ma-convert yung kanilang vacant lot into parking facilities,” Zamora said.

Jonathan Malaya, spokesman and undersecretary of Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), urged lot owners to turn their vacant lots into parking spaces to clear public streets of obstructions, including tricycles.

“Nananawagan tayo sa lahat ng mga may-ari ng private lots na sa sana ipagamit nila yung kanilang bakanteng lupa,” Malaya said.

“We have to think out of the box here. We have to find solutions. Hindi acceptable na yung bangketa o sidewalk ginagamit na paradahan ng tricycle,” he added.  /gsg

READ: San Juan bans parking along select roads in Greenhills

READ: San Juan City suspends street pay parking scheme