Senator Tulfo proposes free parking for seniors and PWDs

Senate Bill No. 1920 aims to make parking free for senior citizens and PWDs

Senior motorists and persons with disabilities may soon no longer have to pay for parking when visiting shopping centers. This comes after Senator Raffy Tulfo recently proposed Senate Bill No. 1920, or the Free Parking Act.

Under SB No. 1920, the act aims to make the shopping experience more convenient for both PWDs and senior citizens (Scs). For Tulfo, the act will establish a program to ensure SCs and PWDs are appreciated by the country.

“The cost of parking has already become a daily expense we can longer ignore and we must adopt measures and establish a program to ensure our citizens are assisted and appreciated by the country, in honor of their services and contribution to our society,” read the bill.

The free parking privilege will not be valid for an entire day, however. Under the Free Parking Act, it will only be valid for a maximum of three hours in a commercial establishment. This can include retail stores, shopping centers, or similar businesses that provide goods or services for sale. Overnight parking is not included.

In addition, the validated elderly, PWD, or the accompanying driver must present valid identification as proof and they should have made a purchase from the establishment worth at least PHP 500 or any amount that may be set by the implementing rules and regulations (IRRs).

Any commercial establishment that violates the provisions shall be fined not less than PHP 10,000 but not more than PHP100,000 for the first offense; and not less than PHP50,000 but not more than PHP 500,000 for subsequent offenses. Repeat offenders may also face the revocation of their business permits.

Establishments with less than 10 parking spaces or located in areas where parking is not readily available or is not under the control of the commercial establishment will be exempt from granting free parking privileges.

Do you think SB 1920 will help SCs and PWDs? Or will it be abused by the public in order to get free parking at shopping centers? Let us know what you think in the comments section.