De Lima proposes stiff fines for illegal use of parking spaces exclusive for handicapped persons

Senator Leila M. de Lima has filed a measure seeking to impose stiff penalties for any unauthorized use and obstruction of the parking areas intended for the exclusive use of handicapped persons, especially in public places.

De Lima has filed Senate Bill No. (SBN) 1622 prescribing guaranteed parking spaces for handicapped persons in public places, setting the guidelines on who can utilize such exclusive areas, and penalizing those who obstruct their accessibility routes.

"Without clear penalties for the unauthorized use and obstruction of such designated spaces, social media is abound with posts of drivers who brazenly and wantonly disregard disabled parking spaces," she said.

"Examples of these are non-handicapped drivers occupying the space provided for the disabled and people blatantly obstructing access ramps for disabled, wheelchair-bound persons despite the obvious International Symbol of Access," she added.

The former justice secretary noted the absence of specific guidelines that will fully address the special needs of disabled persons mentioned in 1983 Accessibility Law and the Republic Act No. 7277, also known as the Magna Carta for Disabled Persons.

"Handicapped persons are part of the Philippine society, thus, the State shall give full support to the improvement of the total well-being of handicapped persons and their integration into the mainstream of society," she said.

Under SBN 1622, at least one exclusive and designated space should be allotted for handicapped persons for every 25 parking spaces in public places and should be located closest to the accessible entrances regardless if it is serving a particular building or not.

The measure also mandates that each parking space should have signs showing a wheelchair with occupant in white on a blue background along with the words "Minimum Fine P10,000," which should be posted adjacent to, or visible from, each parking stall.

The measure likewise proposed that such parking space should be indicated by a blue border and either blue or white hatched lines on the edge of the paved portion of the street adjacent to the space. The words "No Parking" painted in white letters and no less than 12 inches high should also be seen within the border.

De Lima further explained that only vehicles that display government-issued handicapped-parking placards may park in these exclusive parking spaces marked as reserved for the handicapped.

Under the proposed measure, handicapped persons are those who have impaired mobility, ambulant disabled, wheelchair-bound, has a condition rendering him similarly disabled as certified by a physician, or any ailment that prohibits him or her from being able to walk a distance of 200 feet without stopping to rest.

Anyone parking in a space reserved for handicapped persons without handicapped parking placard, a handicapped person who allows a non-handicapped person to use his parking placard, and any person obstructing the access points of handicapped persons to the designated handicapped parking spaces shall pay a minimum fine of 10,000 pesos to a maximum of 40,000 pesos.

Additionally, any person fraudulently obtaining a handicapped parking placard and any establishment covered under the measure who fails to provide the required handicapped parking space shall pay a fine of 40,000 pesos to 200,000 pesos and 200,000 pesos, respectively.

In accordance with the measure, the Disability Affairs Office of every local government unit shall issue a permanent or temporary handicapped-parking placards to handicapped persons.