Fines For Illegal Parking In Metro Manila’s Streets Expected To Rise Starting January 2019

The Manila Metropolitan Development Authority (MMDA) has moved the start of the implementation of higher parking fines from December 19, 2018, to January 7, 2019.

The “no-towing policy” project of the MMDA which was announced last August 31, 2018, aims to impose a P500 peso on-the-spot fine to drivers of illegally parked vehicles instead of towing.

Under such a scheme, the “five-minute” rule is considered waived to avoid allegations of abuse and extortion after several issues were directed towards it.

The establishment of the said policy is in line with the campaign of the MMDA to ease heavy traffic in the ever-congested roads of Metro Manila.

The heavier the traffic, the steeper the fines

The MMDA Regulation Number 18-008 will raise illegal parking fines for attended and un-attended vehicles from the P200 and P500 to P1,000 and P2,000.

Under this new regulation, offenders of the policy will be issued a violation ticket, maximum of two per day, with a 3-hour interval between issuances. With that said, it only means that violators can get a fine of up to P4,000 each day for illegally parking their vehicles.

On top of all that, lawbreakers will also be receiving another ticket for obstruction of public roads equivalent to P1,000, far higher from the previous P150 fine.

Towing to be imposed under special circumstances

Illegally parked vehicles with no plate numbers shall not receive any of the aforementioned violation tickets but will instead be automatically towed by the enforcers, provided that it has not yet been impounded.

As of now, the agency has suspended towing of the vehicles as their impounding area in Marikina City has already reached its full capacity.

Bad news for violators is, according to MMDA Legislative and Legal Affairs OIC Atty. Crisanto Saruca, vehicles with more than two violations or those that will be caught blocking a major road, will still be towed and impounded at the MMDA HQ.

In addition to, Metrobank will no longer be accepting payments. Fines can instead be settled at any Bayad Center Outlets, SM Bills Payment and at the MMDA Treasury Division.

(Read: A Handy Guide To Towing Laws In The Philippines)

Why was the implementation date moved?

MMDA General Manager Jojo Garcia attributed the delay of the execution of the policy towards the dilemma with the ticketing and collection system of the agency and even added that “it’s Christmas season anyway”.

The agency is still working on improving the ticket and payment system, publication of requirements, and metro-wide education for violators who can be issued two tickets within 3 hours on the same day.

According to him, the implementation of the fine hike may have been moved but the issuance of tickets and the execution of the law will still push through, only with discounted rates for now.

“Pero hindi porket Janaury 7 ‘yung pagtaas ng fine, hindi tayo manghuhuli. Tuloy-tuloy pa rin, pero discounted pa sila ngayon,” said Garcia.

As per the data collected by the MMDA, within the first 15 days of the month, around 2,500 tickets have been issued by the enforcers under the old fine scheme.

SOURCES: Auto Industriya, Rappler