MANILA, Philippines - The city government of Manila will tow all illegally parked vehicles along secondary roads as part of reviving the “no garage, no car” policy, Mayor Joseph Estrada said yesterday.
He said that despite the city government’s repeated appeals for vehicle owners to have their own garage, many still park their vehicles on the street, taking up valuable road space.
“Many car owners remain stubborn, uncooperative. But now they will see,” the mayor said.
“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,” Estrada said.
The mayor said the city government will strictly implement the policy, earlier proposed by President Duterte, to ease traffic in urban areas.
He said the policy was implemented even during the term of the late president Ferdinand Marcos.
More than 20 vehicles were towed in the first week since the citywide anti-illegal parking drive started on Jan. 11.
In each district, a mobile propaganda team will go around a neighborhood, using loudspeakers, to inform vehicle owners and business establishments to remove illegally parked vehicles. They are given 10 minutes to do so.
If the vehicle remains unattended, it will be towed or clamped. Owners of clamped vehicles will be fined P900.
Owners of towed light vehicles are fined P3,800; medium sized vehicles such as vans and sport utility vehicles, P5,000; trucks and heavy vehicles, P8,000; and jeepneys, P2,800.
Illegally parked motorcycles will be spared since they can easily be removed and transferred.
The towing will be done starting at around 7 a.m. on weekdays. It can also be done on weekends as the need arises, the city government said.