Marcos stops hike in illegal parking fine
PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. stopped the implementation of Joint Traffic Circular No. 01 of Metro Manila Council (MMC), which will hike the penalty for illegal parking in Metro Manila.
In a social media post last Wednesday, the chief executive said he opposed the policy, which would have raised the fine from P1,000 to P4,000.
Rather than relying on harsher penalties, Marcos said the government should try instilling self-discipline among motorists to prevent illegal parking.
“While I understand the intention behind the proposal, I’ve decided to prioritize discipline over penalties. Ang Bagong Pilipino (New Filipinos) are disciplined. By focusing on individual responsibility we can create long-lasting solutions to our traffic challenge,” Marcos said.
He said the fine in the National Capital Region (NCR) will remain at P1,000.
Last January, the Marcos launched its Bagong Pilipinas (New Philippines) campaign containing its “master plan for genuine development.”
It focused on promoting a new brand of governance, wherein government officials and personnel will perform their tasks efficiently and shun corrupt and wasteful practices.
Aside from retaining the current rate of fine for illegal parking, Marcos also issued several traffic-related policies, including deferring the imposition of penalties for e-bikes, e-trikes, and other similar vehicles in selected roads in NCR.
He also came out with new orders, which intensified the enforcement of the ban on sirens, bells, horns, whistles or similar gadgets that produce exceptionally loud or startling sound, including dome lights, blinkers and other similar signalling or flashing devices to any motor vehicles; and updated the regulation for the issuance of low-numbered (protocol) license plates to government officials.