IMAGINE UST as the Parker Brothers’ Monopoly board.
In your trips through Quezon Drive, Ampuero Drive, Tamayo Drive and the other streets in UST, has it ever occurred to you why you just can’t land on the “free parking” box? (And why we often find ourselves falling on the “luxury tax” slot instead?)
While UST is heartily developing buildings left and right, Thomasians are left with chancing upon the much-coveted parking slots—1,200 of them, minus those which were recently removed to give way to the construction of the new buildings, i.e., the Tan Yan Kee Student Center and the Alfredo M. Velayo College of Accountancy cum parking building.
And with 5,000 car stickers being issued to students annually—plus 2,000 to faculty members and 200 more for administrators—the “free parking” here in UST is strictly first come, first serve. The new parking building, which hopes to provide 450 more slots (for a price, though), is not going to be enough to accommodate the buzzing Thomasian populace.
Unfortunately, if you read the green car sticker application form, there is a provision that goes: “The issuance of parking pass/sticker is neither a guarantee of availability of parking space at every instance nor does it entitle the holder to park beyond the hours of one’s legitimate business in the premises.”
During peak hours (6:30 a.m. to 7:15 a.m.), an average of 1,000 cars enter or pass through UST. “Yes, there is a problem,” says Traffic Management Officer Roberto Evangelista. But we just have to deal with the school’s parking constraints, unfortunately—just like De La Salle, Far Eastern University, and others.
Monopoly is, after all, a ruthless game.
In the board game, there are four railroads. But in reality, there are many more smart and practical choices, like taking the LRT, FX, PUJ, PUB and other forms of public transport, other than bringing your own car. University officials also suggest organizing car pools. After all, many would argue that petroleum products seem to be a monopoly in itself.
But for the sake of solving the parking problem and expanding the University, our Dominican fathers are forced to strip off their priestly robes and wear the Monopoly-man suit (and hat)—not that that is bad, but they may lose their “monopoly” of UST someday if they make too many “sweet trades” with third parties.
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On the other hand, Philippine traffic regulations seem to be a blurry topic. In case you want to know more about the regulations, violations, and corresponding penalties, check out this hyperlink http://www.lto.gov.ph/fines2.html#v1 or refer to R.A. 4136 or the Land Transportation and Traffic Code.
Drive safely.
