LISTENING to public outcry, Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito is pushing for the regulation in the imposition of parking fees by shopping malls, hotels, and other commercial establishments.
“The cry from the public against the prevalent practice of charging parking fees by shopping malls and commercial establishments is resounding,” Ejercito said in his explanatory note.
In his Senate Bill 2044, Ejercito said that while parking facilities, either inside or outside the commercial establishments, were mandated under Republic Act 6541, or the “National Building Code of the Philippines,” there was no law or administrative issuance regulating parking fees in the country.
Some malls impose P30 to P50 parking fee for the first three hours and additional P10 or higher per succeeding hour of parking while others collect P100 for the first three hours.
This only show that there is no standard being followed for the collection of parking fees, Ejercito noted.
The senator noted that despite being loyal consumers and patrons, the public had to pay for every hour that they spend inside the establishments.
Ejercito said Article II of RA 7394, or the Consumer Act of the Philippines, stressed “the policy of the State to protect the interest of the consumers, promote the general welfare and establish standards of conduct for business andindustry.”
“Owners of malls and commercial establishments should then give consideration to the buying public,” he said.
“As such, this bill seeks to provide regulating mechanism and rational basis for the determination of reasonable parking fees that may be imposed to the public,” Ejercito said.
Under the measure, establishments will impose P40 per vehicle for the maximum of eight hours and an additional P10 per succeeding hour of parking.
There will be one-time P100 fee for overnight parking.
There will also be a provision of 30 minutes grace period, wherein the customer shall not be charged the standard parking fee if his/her vehicle has entered and exited the parking area within the grace period.
The bill also proposes that parking receipts issued by the owner of the establishment, or his agents shall be subjected to a validation system by the establishment before any imposition of parking charges shall be made.
And since there should be security guards in the parking spaces, these establishments shall be responsible for the safety of the vehicles and shall be prohibited from invoking the waiver of liability in case of loss of or damage to vehicle parked in the parking facility.
Any person or owner of shopping malls, hotels, and similar commercial establishments, his agents and/or authorized representatives who violates the provisions of the measure shall pay a fine of P100,000 per customer charged with an overpriced parking fee and the suspension and/or revocation of their license to operate, upon the discretion of the court.
