Senator pushes passage of proof-of-parking space bill

In a statement, Gatchalian said a number of bills have been filed in both chambers of Congress with the aim of decongesting Metro Manila’s traffic even without the granting of emergency powers. (File Photo: Senator Win Gatchalian/Facebook)

MANILA — Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Tuesday pushed for the passage of the proof-of-parking space bill as an alternative to ease traffic congestion in Metro Manila.

In a statement, Gatchalian said a number of bills have been filed in both chambers of Congress with the aim of decongesting Metro Manila’s traffic even without the granting of emergency powers.

President Rodrigo Duterte recently said Congress has not given him emergency powers to solve the traffic congestion on Edsa, which he said was the only campaign promise he failed to deliver.

Gatchalian said the proof-of-parking bill aims to regulate the sale of motor vehicles in Metro Manila by requiring prospective buyers to prove that they have parking space.

“We are now putting the responsibility on the car owners: if you buy cars, you have to make sure that you have a parking space for your vehicle, and not park on the streets. This could potentially clear our side streets of obstructions, which in turn could be used as alternate routes to decongest Edsa,” Gatchalian said.

Gatchalian also urged President Duterte to certify the bill as priority measure for the next Congress.

“Ipagpapatuloy nating isusulong ang panukalang batas na ito hanggang sa tuluyan itong maging batas (We will continue to push for the passage of this bill until it becomes a law). I therefore humbly urge the President to declare this one of his priority measures for the 18th Congress to hasten its passage,” he said.

Under the bill, Metro Manila residents would only be allowed to purchase vehicles after the execution of an affidavit confirming the availability of a permanent parking space for the motor vehicle that they intend to buy.

Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III, meanwhile, stressed that Metro Manila city streets must be cleared of illegally parked vehicles.

“You will never decongest Edsa unless you accept my age-old thesis to declare all city streets in MM (as) no parking (zones),” Sotto said in a tweet.