ONLY NON-THOMASIANS and other outsiders will be charged a P1000 overnight parking fee at the UST Carpark to address congestion and long-term stay in the area, according to the facility’s new operator.
In a meeting with University officials, FlexIT Mobility Solutions Inc. (FMSI) finalized the new parking rate matrix at the UST Carpark, including the terms for flexibilities and exemptions from the hiked overnight fee, previously set at P50.
The FMSI took over the facility’s operations after UST’s contract with Selegna Holdings Corp. ended. The new operator observed that approximately 100 of the parking area’s 600 slots were occupied by outsiders for overnight parking.
“Our priority would be, of course, the hospital, the Thomasian community. So, there were some instances, as you notice in the regular, we’re queuing so much because the park is full,” FMSI CEO Charles Deita told The Flame.
“So, [it is] fully utilized by students and the Thomasian community. So, we discussed it with the management to increase it,” he added.
Under the new parking rate matrix, the regular night parking rate for entries beyond 6 p.m. is priced at P50 for the first two hours plus P15 for succeeding hours. An additional overnight fee of P1,000 will be charged for those who stay from 2:00 to 4:00 a.m.
Exceptions, however, will be made for UST students, employees, alumni and doctors, personnel and patients of the UST Hospital (USTH), who will instead be charged the regular night parking rate.
The University’s students, administration, personnel and hospital staff must present their UST-issued IDs, while patients must have their parking ticket validated and obtain a hospital clearance slip to be exempt from the P1000 charge and pay only the regular night parking rate.
Following the dialogue between the USTH and FMSI, Deita said the hospital has agreed to the validation process “to ensure that patients and authorized persons are fully verified prior to availing the adjusted parking arrangements.”
Regular daytime parking costs P40 for the first two hours for outsiders and four hours for students. Senior citizens and persons with disabilities or PWDs get the first two hours free, with the third and fourth hours costing P40. All rates are subject to a P15 charge per succeeding hours.
Deita said the company is studying additional measures to “ensure that the Thomasian community remains the priority.”
“Rest assured that we will actively monitor vehicles parked for more than 24 hours and implement necessary actions to prevent misuse of the facility,” he added.
The updated signage for the parking rates and rules will be installed on Tuesday, Nov. 18, according to the Carpark operator.
Essential benefit
For faculty member Prof. Franz Giuseppe Cortez of the Philosophy department, the overnight parking is an essential benefit and the safest option for the Thomasian community and hospital personnel.
“It’s completely necessary for Thomasian employees, stakeholders, faculty members, even administrators who live nearby and don’t have sufficient or safe parking near their homes… The safest option is our university,” Cortez said.
Legal Management junior Nathan Laurio found the change beneficial, describing the new policy as an improvement.
“It’s super beneficial for students, especially for those who have morning classes that use the Carpark,” Laurio said.
He added that previously, students who entered the Carpark before 12 noon could only avail of the regular rates, which often resulted in higher payments if they stayed until the afternoon or night. F
