Council OKs discount on storage of impounded cars

CEBU, Philippines — The Mandaue City Council has passed on first reading a proposed ordinance granting discount on storage fee of all impounded vehicles in the city.

Vehicle owners, however, are still required to pay the penalties and surcharges.

Under the proposed ordinance sponsored by City Councilor Jimmy Lumapas, chairman of the Committee on Transportation, Communication and Public Utilities, a 50-percent discount on storage fee shall be granted to the owners of impounded vehicles from January to December last year; 20 percent discount for those impounded from January 2018 to December 2019; and 30 percent for vehicles impounded from January 2015 to December 2017.

Krizzy Hyll Retuya, Lumapas’ chief of staff, said most of the impounded vehicles are motorcycles and tricycles. An inventory is still being conducted to determine the total number of impounded vehicles.

The city government charges storage fee ranging from P100 to P500 per day depending on the type of vehicle.

The proposed ordinance is aimed at decongesting the impounding area of the city from unclaimed impounded vehicles because of accumulated fines and storage fees.

The discount can be availed only within 30 days after the enactment of the ordinance. The 30-day period shall be determined by the Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue (TEAM) Office.

“The city government of Mandaue, in an effort to encourage payment for unpaid storage fees, accelerate the TEAM’s efficient collection and upon the recommendation of the Mandaue City Traffic Board in a meeting held last February 18, 2021, has decided to grant relief and/or amnesty to the declared owners of the impounded vehicles which remained unclaimed for the past five (5) years,” the proposed ordinance reads.

All abandoned vehicles will be subjected to public auction and such vehicles shall be treated under the subsisting guidelines of the “Public Towing and Impounding Ordinance of 2020”.

The city government, through the discretionary power of the mayor, reserves its right to possess certain abandoned vehicles which will be donated to barangay offices and government offices for public use.

Provided, however, that such abandoned vehicles shall have been declared by the Mandaue City Traffic Board through a Resolution indicating that the same are due for donation. — FPL (FREEMAN)