BACOLOD City — The Bacolod Traffic and Transport Management Department (BTTMD) will resume the implementation of City Ordinance No. 1035, series of 2023, which establishes tow-away zones in various streets across the city.
BTTMD head Atty. Reuben Mikhail Sabig said towing operations are expected to restart next week following the delivery of the city’s newly purchased towing truck. The city is completing the remaining operational requirements before full implementation begins.
The towing program was previously suspended after the city government and Metro Towing Services (MTS) failed to finalize a new agreement. Ordinance 1035 amended City Ordinance 818, series of 2017, updating penalties and additional provisions.
Sabig said tow-away zones have already been repainted, and signages will soon be installed, particularly near hospitals and schools, to properly inform motorists.
Under the ordinance, operators of public utility vehicles, private vehicle owners, and drivers of motorized tricycles whose units are illegally parked along prohibited areas or found violating traffic laws will face corresponding fines and towing charges.
Wheel clamping fees are set at P600 for sedan-type vehicles, P800 for medium-sized vehicles, and P1,000 for heavy vehicles. Towing fees start at P1,500 for light vehicles (first four kilometers) and P1,000 for two- or three-wheeled vehicles, P2,500 for medium vehicles (first four kilometers), and P4,500 for heavy vehicles (first four kilometers).
An additional P200 will be charged for every succeeding kilometer from the towing site to the impounding area.
Impounding or storage fees are P200 per day for the first and second months, P350 per day for the third and fourth months, and P500 per day for the fifth and sixth months.
Sabig stressed that towing will be enforced strictly as part of strengthening traffic discipline in the city./PN
