Illegally parked vehicles along Manila’s secondary and barangay roads are now the targets of a renewed anti-illegal parking operation ordered by Mayor Joseph “Erap” Estrada.
On Thursday, Estrada said it is high time the city government “levels up” its anti-illegal parking campaign by going after irresponsible vehicle owners that leave their cars and trucks in the streets.
“To show them that we are dead serious, we will tow away vehicles parked along the streets, especially along secondary roads that serve as alternate routes,” the mayor warned.
Estrada lamented that despite repeated appeals by the government to vehicle owners to have their own garages, many still indiscriminately park on the streets, mostly in front of their houses, taking valuable road space.
“We’ve never learned. Many car owners remain stubborn, uncooperative. But now they will see,” he warned, as he expressed support to the “no car, no garage” policy being proposed by President Rodrigo Duterte to ease traffic in urban areas.
The Manila-wide anti-illegal parking operation, which started on Jan. 11, is spearheaded by the Manila Traffic and Parking Bureau headed by Dennis Alcoreza.
More than 20 vehicles have so far been towed away during the first week of its implementation, Alcoreza said. Six teams have been formed to carry out this task in each of the city’s six districts.
Each team, composed of about 25 to 30 men, will have two tow trucks and a Mobile Propaganda Team. The operation will start as early as 7 a.m. with the deployment of loudspeaker-equipped MPTs around the neighborhood, informing vehicle owners and business establishments of the clearing drive.
“The MPT will go around telling vehicle owners that they have to remove their illegally parked vehicles. They will be given around 10 minutes to do so, or else,” Alcoreza pointed out.
The unattended vehicle, he said, will either be towed away or clamped.
“Towing and clamping is our last resort. We will ask the owners first to remove their vehicles,” Alcoreza stressed.
Owners of towed light vehicles, he said, will have to pay P3,800; P5,000 for medium-sized vehicles such as vans and SUVs; P8,000 for heavy vehicles such as trucks; and P2,800 for jeepneys.
Parked motorcycles will be spared since they can easily be removed and transferred.
Clamped vehicles, on the other hand, will be fined P900.
“We will carry this out from Monday to Friday and even during weekends if the need arises. Simultaneous, citywide operation,” Alcoreza added.
He said Estrada came up with this campaign to help the Inter-Agency Council for Traffic ease up congestion in Metro Manila, while Congress is still deliberating on whether to grant Duterte traffic emergency powers.
“While I-ACT is focused on major roads, we in the city will concentrate on strategic routes, mostly city and barangay roads,” Alcoreza said.
