Bill regulating parking fees hurdles 2nd reading at House

MANILA – A measure regulating the operations and imposition of parking fees in malls, hotels, hospitals, schools and other establishments has hurdled second reading approval at the House of Representatives.

During Wednesday’s plenary session, the lower chamber approved House Bill 7725, otherwise known as the proposed Parking Operations and Fees Regulation Act, which aims to protect consumers who avail of parking facilities offered by business operators from unreasonable parking rates and fees.

The bill encourages all business establishments, including hospitals, malls, hotels, restaurants and others, to offer their parking spaces free of charge to customers patronizing their products and services.

Customers must show proof of a transaction with the establishment to waive parking charges.

Customers of retail establishments, however, shall be allowed to park free of charge for a maximum of two hours only and will be charged PHP10 per hour but not exceeding PHP50 per day. This provision does not apply to overnight parking schemes.

Business establishments may impose maximum charges varying from PHP20 to PHP50 per hour to motorists who will use the spaces merely for parking purposes.

For individual open parking enterprises, the maximum fee that may be charged will be PHP30 for the first three hours and PHP20 for each succeeding hour.

Multilevel parking enterprises may impose PHP40 for the first three hours and PHP20 per succeeding hour.

The maximum overnight parking fee that may be imposed by any covered establishment will be PHP150.

The bill states that covered establishments must maintain and provide security in their parking lots.

The establishments shall be held liable for damages in case of theft or robbery within their area.