More and more people have begun supporting House Bill No. 5098 or the “Proof of Parking Space Act” of Valenzuela City Congressman Win Gatchalian.

Even before the highway patrol group (HPG) suggested the “no garage, no car policy”, Gatchalian has already been pushing for the same measure to ease the worsening traffic in the metropolis.

Filed October 14 last year, HB 5098 seeks to require potential buyers of motor vehicles in Metro Manila to prove that they have a parking space before they can buy and own a car.

Gatchalian’s measure was initially met with mixed reactions on the Internet, particularly on social media.

Netizens welcomed the proposal:

But there were also those who had doubts on the proposed measure:

However, the public clamor to pass Gatchalian’s measure has lately become stronger after the “no garage, no car policy” was recently recommended by the HPG and was backed by Malacanang:

In a statement, Gatchalian maintained that HB 5098 will give flesh to the recommendation of HPG Director Chief Supt. Arnold Gunnacao for a law that will prohibit individuals [from buying or purchasing] motor vehicles without their respective garage.

“No one has the right to make public streets his own parking space. If one has the financial capacity to buy a vehicle, then he should also have the same capacity to obtain a parking space,” Gatchalian said.

It will be recalled that the bill was filed amid the current surge in car sales, which is seen as the cause of the worsening traffic congestion in major thoroughfares.

In a news report, vehicle sales grew by 20 percent to 179,215 units in this year’s first eight months to 179,215 units. Sales in August posted a 21-percent growth to 23,181 units from 19,116 in the same month last year.