Iloilo City eyes PPP for towing services vs illegal parking
IL OIL O City–Illegal parking continues to be a major problem in this city.
As part of the measures to further improve its traffic management, the city government is eyeing to tap the services of a towing company through a publicprivate partnership (PPP).
“The city has a towing and clamping ordinance. We are open to a proponent for PPP for towing and clamping. We will be releasing terms of reference for the same soon,” said Mayor Jerry Treñas.
For his part, Traffic Management Unit ( TMU) head Uldarico Garbanzos said that “engaging with a private partner for these services will be a big boost to our campaign against illegal parking especially on- road parking.”
Garbanzos opined that the PPP scheme for towing services will be of advantage to the city government financially as it will be the private partner, in tandem with the TMU, who will take the lead in terms of operation.
The TMU recorded a total of 116 illegal parking violations from Dec. 9, 2023 to Feb. 9, 2024.
Also in the same period, a total of 4,165 different traffic violations have been recorded involving 3, 616 vehicles.
Garbanzos admitted that illegal parking is rampant especially along national roads such as in Baluarte, Calumpang, Calaparan, Timawa Avenue, and other areas of the city.
Due to limited personnel, however, traffic enforcers could not monitor the areas round-the-clock.
The TMU chief shared that part of the plan is coordination with the barangays to address the problem.
TMU data further showed that most of the impounded violating vehicles were the light ones like tricycles or e-trike.
There were no impounded four-wheeled vehicles for lack of towing services.
Garbanzos said traffic enforcers had to wait for the owner of the vehicle to issue a citation ticket.
Initially, the TMU is also eyeing non- contact apprehension scheme but there is no ordinance on this yet.
This, Garbanzos added, is ideal against on-road parking involving big or heavy trucks that cannot be towed.
Iloilo City has an existing ordinance, Regulation Ordinance (RO) No. 2015-049 amending RO 2014- 191 or An Ordinance Incorporating the Use of Wheel Clamp by Way of Supplement to RO No. 2013-18, allowing the city to enter into a partnership with a private person or entity for the enforcement of and implementation of the same ordinance.