MANILA, Philippines— With similar measures pending in Congress for years, Senator Ramon ‘Bong” Revilla Jr. now vowed to push for the passage of his bill regulating parking fees in many establishments in the country.
Revilla recently filed Senate Bill No. 1463, which aims to fix parking rates in malls, supermarkets, restaurants, hotels, hospitals, schools, and dedicated parking facilities, among others.
“Ilang taon nang nakabinbin sa Kongreso ang panukalang batas na i-regulate ang bayad sa parking spaces katulad ng sa mga mall, mga kainan, at ibang pang lugar. Sa totoo lang, kung tutuusin, matagal na dapat naisabatas ito,” the senator said in a statement on Tuesday.
(The proposed legislation regulating the fees for parking spaces in malls, restaurants, and other areas has been pending in Congress for years. This should have been enacted into law a long time ago.)
READ: Here’s what you need to know about the House–approved parking fee regulation bill
“Kaya ngayon ay talagang itutulak natin ang pagpasa nito sa Kongreso lalo na’t malaking kabawasan ito sa gastusin ng ordinaryong mamamayan,” he said.
(That’s why I will really push for its passage in Congress especially because this would help ordinary citizens reduce their expenses.)
Because the rates of the parking fee remain unregulated, Revilla said motorists are left “at the mercy of the parking area owners.”
Under his bill, all types of cars should be charged a minimum of P30 for the first three hours and an additional P5 for each succeeding hour.
Motorcycles, on the other hand, should be charged P10 for the first three hours and another P2 for each succeeding hour.
For overnight parking, Revilla’s bill proposes a P100 flat rate for all types of cars and P50 for motorcycles.
The measure also seeks to impose standard rates for the following:
- P100 flat rate for valet service, in addition to the regular parking fee;
- P100 in addition to parking fees for lost or damaged parking ticket; and
- P200 in addition to parking fees for lost or damaged parking card.
The proposed legislation likewise mandates a grace period of 15 minutes for pass-through customers while those spending at least P500 in the establishment could enjoy free parking for the first three hours.
Revilla lamented that some parking facilities and office parking spaces in the country, especially in central business districts, charge exorbitant fees that could go as high as P400 for eight hours.
“While the state respects the role of the private sector in the national economy, and encourages the robust application of the law of supply and demand, the necessity to regulate the rates of the parking fees cannot be disregarded,” the senator said in his explanatory note in the bill.
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