Marikina eyes 2 new policies to keep roads obstruction-free

MANILA, Philippines — Marikina City will usher in two traffic reduction policies this month that could be a roadmap for other Metro Manila cities, where a solution to perennial gridlock remains a tantalizing holy grail.

Under the two new ordinances, private subdivisions will now be compelled to let nonresidents use their roads as alternate routes, while establishments without adequate parking facilities will be barred from securing business permits.

The ordinance opening up Marikina’s gated communities was approved by the city council last week amid objections from some homeowners associations, Mayor Marcelino Teodoro told reporters on Wednesday.

The interior department, which has recently taken a more aggressive role in decongestion efforts, floated the possibility in July of mandating that private subdivisions across the metropolis allow motorists in during rush hours.

But these plans have traditionally faced intense pushback from residents of the affluent communities, who fret over  possible security risks.

The ordinance authored by Councilor Donn Favis goes even further than the proposals from the interior department, however. For one, rather than merely opening the subdivisions during rush hour, the ordinance requires that the public be provided with 24/7 access.

The local law also ordered subdivisions to completely dismantle their gates, and Favis said some had already started doing so voluntarily.

The “No Garage, No Building Permit Ordinance of 2019,” on the other hand, is set for final reading in the city council this Wednesday.

“Anyone who intends to construct a structure shall be required to show proof, like the presentation of a building plan or blue print, attesting to the availability of a permanent parking space,” the ordinance reads.

Maintaining momentum

Favis, who also authored the law, said it aimed to cement the city’s momentum after it was declared obstruction-free by the interior department.

“Through [this] ordinance,  we can [reduce] vehicles parked on the roads and streets,” he said. “Roads are not owned by either the residents living or businesses operating in the area. It’s owned by the government.”

Marikina was the first city in the metropolis to comply with the interior department’s directive to clear all public roads of obstructions within two months.

Teodoro said he was later asked to submit to the Metro Manila Council a report on how the city accomplished the feat to serve as a reference for other mayors.