A Robbery at Tutuban Parking
Filed Under General Nonsense
It’s Christmas time and as expected, prices of some goods and services are higher than usual. That’s a given fact but when Tutuban Center raise it’s parking rates, I can’t help but feel being robbed. Just imagine, from the flat rate of P40.00 per entry, they raised it to P50.00 on the first three hours and then additional P20.00 per hour or part hereof. For regular patrons like me, you’ll be surprised when the attendant hands your bill.
That did not stopped there, the flat rate at sidewalk parking is raised from P50.00 to P150.00. That’s a 300% raise! I’m not even sure if that’s legal but they already implemented it. The parking is now, IMHO, is their biggest CASHCOW. The Tutuban management surely looked like a big fat and hungry crocodile just like the potilicians they despised.
Despite the price, the parking tower is jampacked and the number of vehicles parked is definitely well beyond it’s capacity. Every possible space is used for parking including the two ramps on every level. The ramps had vehicles parked on both sides and the space left is barely enough for your car to pass. I was pointed by the guard to one of the free spaces in the ramp(we arrived at 11:00am and they are just filling the ramps then) and didn’t have the choice but follow because the regular parking slots are all taken up to the rooftop level.
We left by 5:20pm so that cost us P130 pesos (P50 for the first 3 hrs and 80 for the addtl 3.3 hours). Whew! That’s more than thrice the usual P40.00 flat rate. But considering that we spent almost 8T on that 6 hours, I think it is still worth it. However, if you only plan to buy a couple of stuffs there, it’s better if you don’t go there at all and just buy whatever stuff that is in the malls. Hopefully SM won’t raise their parking rates this season.