Billy Begas
Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte and three other lawmakers have jointly filed a measure seeking to regulate parking fees.
In House Bill 5671, Duterte, Benguet Rep. Eric Yap, and ACT-CIS Representatives Edvic Yap and Jeffrey Soriano underscored the importance of regulating parking fees to avoid “anti-consumer practices.”
“While a number of consumer-friendly establishments do not charge customers with parking fees, some charge theirs with unreasonably expensive parking fees,” the authors said. “Absent such legislations regulating parking fees, the parking operators continue to exhibit anti-consumer practices since consumers are left with no choice but to enter these adhesive contracts.”
Under the measure, health establishments shall provide free parking for confined patients and out-patients who avail of medical services. For parking clients, it can charge a maximum of P20 per hour.
Accommodation establishments shall provide free parking for their customers and can impose a maximum of P30 per hour.
Parking in food service establishments shall be free for the first two hours. If the customer exceeds the maximum parking fee shall be P20 per hour.
Educational institutions are encouraged to provide their parking spaces free of charge for officials, employees, faculties, students, and guests. Parking clients can be charged P20 per hour.
For retail establishments, parking shall be free for the first two hours provided that the customer shall provide proof that at least P1,000 worth of products or services were purchased. If the customer exceeds the two-hour grace period the parking fee shall be P20 per hour but not exceeding P100 per day except for those who will be subjected to the overnight parking fee.
Corporate offices or facilities can impose a maximum of P40 for the first four hours and an additional P20 for every succeeding hour but the parking fee shall not exceed P140 per day.
Open single-level parking establishments can impose a maximum of P30 for the first three hours and P20 per succeeding hour but not to exceed P100 per day except for those that will be subjected to overnight parking fees.
Multilevel parking enterprises can charge P40 for the first three hours and P20 for every succeeding hour but not to exceed P100 per day except for those subjected to overnight parking.
For regulated street parking, P50 can be imposed per hour.
The maximum overnight parking fee and lost parking ticket fee shall be P150.
The measure will also establish a minimum standard for parking facilities such as the installation of CCTV cameras and security guards.
Violators of the measure shall be fined P100,000 to P300,000 and/or suspension/cancellation of business permits and licenses.
