METRO Manila mayors declined the proposal to implement a 17-hour parking ban, which would run from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., on public streets in the National Capital Region. Instead, they endorsed a policy that prohibits parking on all national primary roads.
Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Romando Artes announced this on Tuesday, September 16, after a meeting with members of the Metro Manila Council (MMC).
The MMC, composed of the 17 mayors in Metro Manila, serves as the governing board and policy-making body of the MMDA.
“We approved an MMC resolution prohibiting parking on all national primary roads. On national secondary roads, parking will be allowed only from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. For all other roads, we will let the local government units issue ordinances or regulate on their own,” Artes said.
MMC president and San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora emphasized the importance of a localized approach to parking rather than a total ban. He explained that while some streets must strictly prohibit parking, others—particularly less busy ones—may allow one-sided or limited parking at certain times.
Zamora added that local governments can determine which streets may be designated for parking without causing traffic obstruction.
In Manila, Mayor Francisco Domagoso said the city government allows traders to park along Recto Avenue to facilitate deliveries. “There are areas that are non-negotiable, and there are some that we are trying to blend with the demand. Specifically, there is one street and a particular time of day, which is nighttime, when deliveries are arriving from Northern, Southern, and Central Luzon. We allow our local businessmen to deliver and supply their goods in the area. So, it depends on how large or wide the street is,” Domagoso said.
Under the approved resolution, street parking is banned on national primary roads, intersections, crosswalks, within four meters of fire station entrances, sidewalks, in front of driveways, and along Mabuhay Lanes.
