An anti-illegal parking operation on West Avenue, Quezon City. —NIÑO JESUS ORBETA/INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
The Metro Manila Council (MMC) approved on Thursday changes in the rules of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on vehicle towing and impounding.
MMDA Chair Romando Artes said at a press briefing after the MMC meeting that the revisions outlined in MMDA Regulation No. 24-004 were meant to professionalize the agency’s towing services “due to numerous complaints regarding practices of towing operators.”
“The revised guidelines aim to streamline the towing process, enhance the regulation on towing and impounding of illegally parked and stalled vehicles, ensuring that they are conducted fairly and transparently while protecting the rights of vehicle owners,” he added.
Artes said that under the new regulations, vehicle owners could have their vehicles towed to their houses, auto repair shops, or gasoline stations instead of being automatically impounded and brought to the MMDA’s Tumana impounding site in Marikina City.
The MMDA’s legal and legislative affairs services reported that the agency received 105 complaints from 2022 to 2004 on illegal towing, overcharging, damages, misconduct, and theft.
“Towing procedures and towing rates must be clearly displayed [on] towing vehicles. There will be no increase in towing charges, but we ensure that [any future increase] will be reasonable,” Artes added.
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The guidelines shall apply to all towing services and trucks operating in Metro Manila, including those operated and/or owned by government agencies or instrumentalities.
5 Metro sectors
It shall also cover tow trucks operated or owned by motor vehicle repair shops, business establishments, transport groups, public utility companies, and private clubs, groups, or associations.
For purposes of the towing guidelines, Metro Manila shall be subdivided into five sectors: North, East, West, South, and Central. There shall only be one towing service company per sector, which will be selected through a bidding process.
Winning towing service companies shall have the sole responsibility in their respective areas of operations to remove any stalled and/or unattended illegally parked vehicles within the shortest time possible.
They must be registered with the MMDA and should ensure that their personnel submit various requirements, including police clearances, drug tests, and neuropsychiatric test results.
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Artes said the regulations have yet to be published, but the MMDA is targeting implementation by early next year. Moreover, the agency will also conduct bidding for towing service companies.
The MMC, which is composed of the 17 Metro Manila mayors, is the governing board and policymaking body of the MMDA.