CT-TODA clamps nine vehicles on day 1 of street clearing drive

Personnel of the City of Talisay Traffic Operations Development Authority (CT-Toda) clamp an illegally-parked vehicle at the National Highway in Barangay Lawaan in their first day of implementation of the city’s anti-illegal parking ordinance on Thursday, August 22. | Contributed photo by Jonathan Tumulak

CEBU CITY, Philippines — A Mitsubishi Lancer that was illegally parked on a sidewalk in Barangay Lagtang in Talisay City was the first sample in the city-wide clamping operation that kicked off Thursday, August 22.

Nine vehicles were clamped in the city from 8 a.m. to noon on Thursday, August 22, said Jonathan Tumulak, City of Talisay Traffic Operations Development Authority (CT-Toda) chief.

No one was apprehended in the afternoon.

Read more: CTTODA: Clamping of illegally parked vehicles started on Monday

He said that implementing the city-wide clamping of illegally parked vehicles would help in decongesting the traffic in the city and would prevent road accidents.

Personnel from the CT-Toda implemented the five-minute rule on illegally parked vehicles. This meant that if a vehicle that was issued a citation ticket for illegal parking and would not clear out within five minutes, then it would be immobilized through the installation of a wheel clamp.

Owners of illegally parked vehicles will be fined P500 and another P500 if the vehicle will be clamped.

The fines were set by Talisay City’s Anti-Illegal Parking Ordinance which was passed in 2012 yet.

Tumulak also said that the owner of a clamped vehicle would have to settle previous violation tickets before he would be allowed to retrieve his vehicle.

“Part sa routine operations ang pag clamp sa mga sakyanan. Gi-welcome pud namo ang mga reports gikan sa concerned citizens sa Talisay aron marespondehan,” Tumulak said in a message reply to CDN Digital.

(Clamping of illegally parked vehicles is part of the routine operations. We also welcome reports from concerned citizens so that we can respond to it.)

Read more: 60 day countdown for LGUs to clear public roads starts Monday — Año

The implementation of the city-wide clamping and anti-illegal parking is done in the wake of the directive of President Rodrigo Duterte during his fourth State of the Nation Address (Sona) on July 22 where he ordered all local chief executives to reclaim all thoroughfares that are being used by private individuals.

The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), on July 29, issued a memorandum circular giving a 60-day ultimatum for local chief executives to create significant measures to clear obstructions  and reclaim public roads./dbs