Dads back bill requiring parking space from motor vehicle buyers

CAGAYAN de Oro City legislators headed by Vice Mayor Raineir Joaquin V. Uy on Monday adopted a resolution expressing their unequivocal support to the passage of Senate Bill No. 1165, an Act requiring parking space from motor vehicle buyers in metropolitan areas as a prerequisite for the purchase of a motor vehicle and registration with the Land Transportation Office (LTO).

This, after Councilor Teodulfo E. Lao, in his special report, said the proposed legislation is one of the solutions to the traffic congestion caused by the proliferation of vehicles occupying sidewalks and roadsides.

The councilor, who chairs the committee on public utilities, said based on the data released by the crowd-sourcing site Numbeo.com, the Philippines is the fifth country in the world with the worst traffic condition and the third in Asia.

Cagayan de Oro was named by the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) as one of the twelve metropolitan areas where traffic congestion is prevalent.

“While the government bears a large part of the responsibility for the traffic mess in metropolitan areas, especially in Metro Manila, private car owners who are using our public roads as parking space aggravate the traffic situation,” he said.

He cited observations that extreme traffic congestion sets in as the number of vehicles that are parked along major thoroughfares increases.

“When the roads become parking lots, there will always be longer trip times and increased vehicular queuing,” he added.

The Power learned that Senate Bill No. 1165 also requires LTO to verify the public document submitted by the registrant or purchases attesting to the existence of the parking facility not only in Metro Manila but also in other metropolitan areas of the country.