In case you missed it, free parking is now available to all passengers at the Light Rail Transit Line 2 (LRT-2) Santolan Station. Personally, this is exciting news to me as I believe it gives motorists a new incentive to commute, which could effectively lessen the number of vehicles on the road.
This new service also benefits passengers with cars, as they now have a dedicated space to leave their vehicles between commutes—at no additional cost as well. The lot is open daily, from 4am to 11:30pm, giving commuters free parking for the whole day.
Off the bat, it is a great initiative, and I immediately tried it out for myself. While I did find more than a few issues, this is a solid step forward in upholding accessible public transportation. Hopefully, the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) can act on these quickly to further improve the overall system.
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Upon exiting the eastbound side of Bonny Serano Avenue at around 4pm, I immediately missed the right turn to enter the parking lot. There lies the first issue: visibility. While the LRTA did create a Facebook post detailing where the parking lot is, the sudden rush of Marcos Highway traffic threw me off my bearings, and I missed it. Bigger and better signage need to be placed on Evangelista Street, or just by the entry to Marcos Highway, in order to help drivers identify the parking area. Eventually, I made a wide U-turn and drove into the lot.
The space itself is shockingly wide, with a grassy area on one side. After clearing the gate, I saw that only one segment had been allotted for cars, with the rest of the area housing blocks of broken concrete. More than a few dozen cars could easily fit, and I hope they further expand the area to accommodate more vehicles. A chipper guard approached me and asked for my ID as he explained the rules of the parking area. He then handed me back my ID, along with a parking voucher.
As explained by the LRTA, to avail of the free parking, the voucher must be validated at the Parking Assistance Office of the commuter’s alighting LRT-2 station. The Santolan Station office will not sign the voucher, as the parking area is only available to passengers. After making the rather long walk to the platform, I hopped on a packed train for a quick ride to Antipolo.
Before we get to Antipolo, I should comment that the walk from my car to the station entrance was a bit questionable. This pavement itself is uneven, and there were rusty bits of metal and nails around the area. Coupled with no lighting fixtures, this could be unsafe for commuters walking at night. The entire space is also open, which leaves commuters exposed to the weather. Thankfully, the heat wasn’t too harsh during my walk.
After arriving in Antipolo, I headed for the Passenger Assistance Office, and I was lucky once again as the line wasn’t too long. After I slid my voucher over to the office attendant, he looked over the piece of paper with a puzzled look. I had to clarify that I needed to have the ticket validated at a different LRT-2 station, and he had to make two calls in order to verify what I was requesting. It took some time, but he eventually signed the ticket, and I was on my way back to Santolan.
As I handed back the validated voucher to the same guard, he was surprised and asked me why I was back so soon. I told him about my experience, and we chatted for a minute. I asked him about the penalties one could incur for a lost ticket or a trespass in the system. He couldn’t give me a direct answer. He tried looking at the ticket once more, but there were no listed offenses or fines on it.
As mentioned, this is a great step in encouraging more citizens to commute, but it needs a tighter system to avoid further confusion and possible abuse. That afternoon, I shared the parking lot with only two other vehicles, but I do believe this service will pick up in the near future. Hopefully, the LRTA can refine this service soon and fix up the parking lot as well.
