MMDA mulls solutions to illegal parking

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has began talking to barangay officials to look for ways to ease traffic by clearing the roads of illegally parked cars.

The MMDA officer in charge and general manager, Tim Orbos, said in a recent TV interview that they were looking for ways to solve the problem, adding that on average, the agency tows at least 80 cars every day.

One of the solutions they were eyeing was the designation of a “one-side parking” lane to prevent motorists from occupying both sides of a road. Another was to have a “time-bound parking” slot.

“[This] means that during peak hours, you have to take your car off the streets. This is being done abroad, like in New York City,” Orbos added.

Since July, the MMDA has towed more than 5,000 illegally parked cars. As an added deterrent, the Interagency Council on Traffic (I-ACT) brings towed cars to an impounding lot in Tarlac province owned by the Land Transportation Office. The area is 130 kilometers away from the current MMDA impounding area in Pasig City.

Apart from a P500 fine, violators must pay a minimum towing fee of P1,500 for the first 4 kilometers plus an additional P200 for every succeeding kilometer.

Orbos warned that motorists who fail to claim their vehicles and settle their fines after three notices would be placed on the alarm list. This, he said, would prevent them from renewing their vehicles’ registration documents with the Land Transportation Office until they fully settle their obligations. –Jovic Yee