MMDA raises fine for illegal parking

Starting today (December 19), the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) will impose a P2,000 fine for unattended illegal parking and P1,000 for attended illegal parking.

Crisanto Saruca, MMDA’s Legislative and Legal Affairs officer-in-charge and concurrent Metro Manila Council’s (MMDC) secretariat head, said fine for unattended illegal parking used to be P500, while P200 for attended illegal parking.

“Starting December 19, unattended illegal parking will cost P2,000 per ticket,” he said in an interview. “It should have been implemented on December 18 but we decided to move it.”

Under MMDA Regulation No. 18-008, “Attended Illegally Parked” motor vehicle is defined as an illegally parked motor vehicle whose driver is present or would appear at any time prior to the actual clamping to the tow truck and who is willing and able to move out said vehicle without delay. The driver of an attended illegally parked vehicle may be apprehended twice in a day after the lapse of three hours from the time of first apprehension. The subject vehicle may still be towed and impounded as the circumstances warrant.

An “Unattended Illegally Parked” motor vehicle, on the other hand, is an illegally parked motor vehicle that does not fall under the “Attended Illegally Parked” vehicle category. An unattended illegally parked vehicle may be apprehended twice in a day after the lapse of three hours from the time of first apprehension. Like the attended illegally parked vehicle, the vehicle may still be towed and impounded as the circumstances warrant.

With the increased fines, Saruca said the MMDA is optimistic hard-headed motorists will start to shape up.