Illegal parking continues to be a major headache in Iloilo City.

To strengthen its operations against this violation, the Iloilo City Government is eyeing to tap the services of a towing company through a public-private 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.

The city mayor maintained that this is just among the measures to further improve traffic management in the city.

Traffic Management Unit (TMU) head Uldarico Garbanzos also 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.”

The TMU recorded a total of 116 illegal parking violations from Dec. 9, 2023 to Feb. 9, 2024.

In the same period, a total of 4, 165 different traffic violations have been recorded involving 3, 616 vehicles.

Garbanzos admitted that the 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.

To note, all national roads are no parking areas at all times under national laws.

The TMU chief shared that part of the plan is coordination with the barangays to address the problem.

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 city’s TMU, who will take the lead in terms of operation.

Presently, based on TMU data, most of the impounded violating vehicles are the light ones like tricycles or e-trike.

There were no impounded four-wheeled vehicles for lack of towing services.

Garbanzos said their enforcers had to wait for the owner of the vehicle to issue a citation ticket.

Initially, they are also eyeing a 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.

Once a PPP for towing services is materialized, he said the city will establish an impounding facility.

The proposed site is the 1.5 hectare vacant area within the Calahunan Sanitary Landfill. The area has an existing building which can be renovated into a releasing office.

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.

“A private person or entity owning and possessing modern denver boot or wheel clamp consisting of 200 units for light vehicles, 200 units for medium vehicles and 100 units for heavy vehicles, and who has two multi-purpose vehicles to carry clamps and two motorcycles for the removal thereof, and with at least 12 personnel may enter into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the City Government of Iloilo for the enforcement and implementation of this ordinance for a term of five years subject to renewal,” read part of the amended ordinance.Iloilo City PIO