Staking out a parking space? MMDA now eyes curbs vs parking slot hogs

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MANILA, Philippines — The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) is studying a ban that will prevent persons from standing in parking slots to “reserve” them.

This comes after a video circulated on social media about a woman standing to reserve a parking slot in a Las Piñas cemetery, which another woman pushed to make way for a vehicle.

Online backlash follows a viral video of woman standing defiantly to reserve a parking spot.

In a press briefing on Thursday, Nov. 14, MMDA Chairman Don Artes said, “Pwedeng umabot sa sakitan, which yun yung gusto nating i-prevent. Huwag nang umabot sa ganon.”

(It can lead to people hurting each other, which is what we want to prevent. Let’s not allow it to get that bad.)

Artes cited another video abroad where a vehicle ran over a person standing in the slot, to which social media users responded positively.

The MMDA chair said the agency was studying an ordinance to prohibit and penalize standing to reserve parking spaces, which Metro Manila’s local governments may adopt in their units.

When asked when they aimed to have the ordinance, Artes answered, “As soon as possible.”

Further, Artes said, “Magco-coordinate tayo sa mga may-ari ng mga malls at mga private parking para ma-institutionalize ito at mapagbawalan.”

(We will coordinate with malls and private parking owners to institutionalize this policy and ban it.)

“Kalimitan doon din nag-aagawan sa mga private parking. Maganda naman ang ating relasyon sa mga malls. Tingin ko naman susunod sila, lalong-lalo na kung may ordinansa,” he added.

(That’s where people usually fight over private parking. Our relationship with malls is somewhat good. I think they will comply, especially if there’s an ordinance.)

A similar measure was recently filed in the House of Representatives, proposing to task the Land Transportation Office to penalize people for “reserving” parking slots.

House version also pushes ban

Meanwhile, a House bill seeks to address a longtime source of aggravation in car parks, where the driver and the passenger work usually as “partners in crime.”

READ: House bill bans using ‘standees’ in parking slots

Akbayan party-list Rep. Percival Cendaña filed House Bill No. 11076, or the draft Mindful Parking Act, which penalizes such acts with fines and the revocation of the driver’s license.

“This practice not only violates common courtesy and the basic principle that parking should be on a first-come, first-served basis, but it also endangers individuals who occupy spaces meant for motor vehicles,” Cendaña said, giving the rationale for the bill.