No Garage, No Car Policy, Government's Save Face Tack

For not doing its job, and to deflect blame, the government trains its eyes on aspiring and struggling car owners. The DILG asks congress to enact a law on “no garage, no car” policy, and Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, uncharacteristically obliges by filing Senate Bill 201, the Proof of Parking Space Act. 

While we all must share in the blame and resolve to play a part in the solution, the government, along with its occupants, especially the politicians, should be decent enough to own up and take responsibility, if it is to have any moral ascendancy on the issue. This problem is clearly a result of the government’s poor policies—something that is commonplace in a corrupt environment.

Long before this traffic mess has grown to the monster that it is now, the government saw this coming, but did not do enough to prevent it: build adequate roads accompanied by effective drainage system; establish an efficient mass transit system. Apparently, this is hard to come by in a corrupt environment.

We scored worst in road index, and we barely beat Cambodia in railroad. Imagine, Cambodia, which became an independent country only in the early 50s, at the time when the Philippines led the economies in Southeast Asia, later formed into ASEAN—to be overtaken just a little over two decades later by Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand— ravaged by decades of genocidal and private capital-destructive Khmer Rouge regime, edged us out. We have to be a very inept government for this to happen. No wonder even the war-devastated Vietnam has economically surpassed us.

“The Philippines, meanwhile, scored the lowest in ASEAN and ranked 104th of 137 economies when it comes to quality of roads.” https://www.rappler.com/business/187905-asean-summit-2017-philippines-competitiveness

“In the latest Global Competitiveness Report, the Philippines lags behind the rest of ASEAN in terms of the quality of roads, railroads, ports, air transport, and electricity supply. (In fact, we scored worst on roads and air transport.)” https://www.rappler.com/thought-leaders/188244-wealth-filipinos-compared-asean-neighbors

But even in our present situation, it is ill-advised to require a garage or parking space before one can purchase a car for the following reasons:

• Most car owners are out of their homes or residences (with their car) during daytime when traffic is heavy, so if at all, a garage, which is most likely empty during hours when traffic is heavy, may contribute very little to solving the traffic problem.

• Most car owners are forced to acquire a vehicle due to the sorry state of our mass transit and public transport system, and to save them their dignity—you would know this if you’ve tried the MRT, LRT or the decrepit PNR.

• Some car owners acquire a car to reward themselves for their hard work. It is a valid motivation, and should be promoted as it incents productivity.

• It is an assault on the middle class, who comprise the majority of single car owners and who may not be able to afford a parking space given the skyrocketing prices of metro manila real estate prices. On the other hand, it favors the rich who own more than one car, and who has enough land or can afford to acquire land for parking space for their fleet. Note, though, that we must not take it against the rich. Remember, they got them from hard work.

• If the government thinks the solution to the traffic menace is to prohibit roadside parking, then it may craft a policy or enact a legislation on it and apprehend and even impose stiffer penalties on violators. But to require garage for would-be buyers is simply an overstretch. It is like cutting the tree when all that is needed is to straighten a wayward branch.

In the end, the best way to manage a runaway car population is to establish an efficient mass transit system to disincent the excessive use of car, or the purchase of new cars. This notwithstanding, we have to see the increasing car sales as a sign of progress, that it truly is.