By Rjay Zuriaga Castor
At least eight illegally parked vehicles were clamped by the Transportation and Traffic Management Office (TTMO) during the implementation of the city’s clamping ordinance on Wednesday, August 21, 2024.
“We believe this phase of the implementation demonstrates that if a motorist does not follow our traffic rules, the city government will not tolerate it, and discipline must be observed,” said TTMO head Uldarico Garbanzos.
Garbanzos expressed confidence that the enforcement of the clamping ordinance will gradually resolve the city’s on-road parking issues.
The TTMO head mentioned that an announcement was made to inform residents that clamping of vehicles parked in unauthorized areas had commenced.
Garbanzos said the clamped vehicles were parked along the road from Zuri Hotel to Barangay Sambag, Jaro.
“We deployed two teams to ensure that during their duty time, they know what to do for those who cannot pay immediately. Contact numbers on the citation tickets are left with the violators, and they are instructed to settle the fines,” he added.
In addition to the eight four-wheeled vehicles that were clamped, citation tickets were issued to several others.
Garbanzos also mentioned that representatives from the City Treasurer’s Office accompanied the enforcement team during the first-day crackdown.
“We already have target areas, but we will return to the service road since we received many complaints in that area,” he said.
Among the target areas of the TTMO are major thoroughfares in the city, particularly the entry points for inbound and outbound vehicles, to ensure there is no obstruction and that traffic flow remains seamless during rush hours.
The TTMO recently acquired 40 medium wheel clamps, 20 large wheel clamps, and 50 motor wheel clamps.
TTMO personnel underwent training and practical demonstrations on how to properly attach and remove wheel clamps before the ordinance’s implementation.
Under the city’s clamping ordinance, violators face fines of P1,000 for light vehicles, P1,200 for medium vehicles, and P1,500 for heavy vehicles. Unauthorized removal of clamps will result in an additional fine of P5,000.