By Rjay Zuriaga Castor
The Transportation and Traffic Management Office (TTMO) reported that 372 illegally parked vehicles have been clamped since the clamping ordinance was enforced in August.
Of the vehicles clamped, more than 300 were four-wheeled, around 50 were two-wheeled, and a few were delivery trucks and tricycles, according to TTMO head Uldarico Garbanzos.
“Our operation is continuous since our apprehensions became well-known. We have received reports from barangay officials requesting that their areas also be cleared of illegal parking,” he said.
Garbanzos encouraged barangay officials to implement the Department of the Interior and Local Government’s Barangay Road Clearing Operations (BaRCO) to keep public roads, sidewalks, and alleys obstruction-free.
The BaRCO program, launched in April, urges local officials, particularly punong barangays, to lead and oversee the monitoring, validation, and assessment of road clearing activities within their areas.
He also suggested that if no-parking violations persist, local officials should pass ordinances to designate certain areas as no-parking zones.
“At the same time, they should coordinate with us so that when we operate, there will be no finger-pointing, and it will be clear we are acting on the barangays’ request,” he added.
Garbanzos noted that clamping operations have been conducted in all city districts but said amendments to the ordinance are needed to cover additional areas.
The TTMO intensified its crackdown on illegally parked vehicles after acquiring new wheel clamps and reinforcing its clamping ordinance in August.
The office procured 40 medium wheel clamps, 20 large wheel clamps, and 50 motor wheel clamps.
Penalties under the clamping ordinance are PHP 1,000 for light vehicles, PHP 1,200 for medium vehicles, and PHP 1,500 for heavy vehicles, with a PHP 5,000 penalty for unauthorized removal.
