MMDA raises fines for illegal parking

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority has raised the fees for illegal parking.

The fees for illegal parking will be P1,000 for attended vehicle (from the previous P200) and P2,000 for unattended vehicle (from the previous P500).

Meanwhile, for obstruction of road, the fee has been raised from P150 to P1,000.

The fees will be effective on January 7, 2019.

"So all these fines will be enforced on January 7. Anong reasons natin? Number one, inaayos pa namin 'yung system namin sa collections. Number two, 'yung sa ticketing. Of course, sabi nga ni chairman, Christmas season ngayon. Medyo gipit din sa pera 'yung mga tao," MMDA general manager Jojo Garcia said in a press conference on Wednesday afternoon.

MMDA spokesperson and Assistant Secretary Celine Pialago told GMA News' Unang Balita in an interview on Wednesday that those found to have their vehicles illegally parked will have two violations written on the ticket to be issued by MMDA: illegal parking and obstruction.

Pialago also said that a motorist may be issued more than one ticket in a day.

For instance, if the MMDA clearing operations team found a car illegally parked at 6 a.m., a ticket will be issued. If the team comes back and the car is still illegally parked at 9 a.m., another ticket will be issued, she said.

The tickets may be issued in 3-hour intervals throughout the day.

If a car has been found by the MMDA to be illegally parked the whole day, the fines may reach up to P15,000—that's P2,000 for illegal parking and P1,000 for obstruction for each of the five times throughout the day.

Pialago said the MMDA impounding areas in Ultra and Tumana are still full, so the most MMDA can do for now is to issue tickets to motorists caught illegally parking their vehicles.

The MMDA official also clarified that the 5-minute rule is an "unwritten rule."

What the MMDA clearing operations team will do, she said, is to honk their horn five times and repeat this after a minute. If the driver has not yet arrived by that time, a ticket will be issued.

Pialago reminded motorists that parking is illegal in these areas: avenues, Mabuhay lanes, major thoroughfares, and emergency areas such as fire hydrant area, pedestrian lane, intersection, and driveways.

She added that the MMDA supports the proposed Proof of Parking Space Bill pending in the Senate.

Meanwhile, coding is suspended on December 25, Christmas Day, Pialago said. —With a report from Joviland Rita/KG, GMA News