The city council has amended through Ordinance 88, s. 2021 provisions of Ordinance 78, s. 2018 or the Baguio City Towing Ordinance for smooth and orderly implementation of traffic rules and regulations, particularly in addressing emerging issues and concerns on obstructions along city’s main roads and thoroughfares.
Among the salient amendments added to the Towing Ordinance include the provision that removal or towing of the vehicles will be done only by authorized city government office tasked with traffic management and responsible for continuous towing of vehicles.
Towing done by a licensed company must be in the presence of a police officer, traffic enforcer, or those deputized by the city mayor who will write their names and signatures in the towing information, otherwise it shall be considered carnapping.
Impounding or storage facility will be within the city or nearby municipalities not exceeding 10 kilometers away beginning at Kilometer 0 located at the foot of Session Road.
If the towing personnel has already attached or used any towing equipment to the vehicle or the wheel of the vehicle is clamped, the owner upon arriving will be issued a traffic citation ticket (TCT) and will only pay the towing standard fee and fees for the traffic violation.
The towing fees are P500 for motorcycle; P1,500 for light vehicles or those with gross weight of less than 4,500 kgs; P3,000 for medium vehicles or those weighing between 4,501 and 7,500 kgs.; and P6,000 for heavy vehicles or those weighing 7,501 kgs. and above.
After the first four kilometers, from the place of towing to the impounding facility, an additional amount or “kilometric fee,” on top of the base fee, will be charged every two kilometers, which is P50 for motorcycles, P200 for light vehicles, P300 medium vehicles, and P500 for heavy vehicles.
Towed vehicles must be claimed within 24 hours from the time it is turned over for storage. Otherwise, the owner must pay the storage fees for every succeeding 24 hours of P100 for motorcycles; P500 for light vehicles; P1,000 for medium vehicles; and P1,500 for heavy vehicles. A fraction of one hour shall be considered as 24 hours.
Stalled or vehicles left along the road that impedes traffic flow and cannot be towed by reasons of unavailability of proper towing equipment of the licensed towing company or authorized office shall be issued a traffic citation ticket for obstruction with the penalty of P1,000 per day until removed or the same may be removed by other person or entities but the cost of removal shall be chargeable to the owner/possessor of the vehicle.
Unattended illegally parked vehicle will be towed if the owner fails to appear after five minutes of waiting by the towing personnel.
Before any towing equipment is attached to the vehicle or before the vehicle is clamped after five minutes and the owner of the vehicle is around, the owner will be issued a TCT and the driver’s license or license plate will be confiscated.
Should the owner refuses to accept the ticket and surrender his/her driver’s license or the license plate, the vehicle will be immediately towed and the license plate will be confiscated.
In case the owner is willing to pay the penalties for the traffic violation or conditions that authorize towing, the vehicle may not be towed and immediately advice the owner to remove his/her vehicle, then the necessary TCT will be issued and the driver’s license or license plate will be confiscated.
Vehicles obstructing any portion of the road as a result of traffic accident or collision which impedes traffic flow shall be towed immediately.
In all cases of violation of the ordinance, TCT will be either issued to the driver, clipped on the windshield, or delivered to the towing personnel which shall form part of the record; driver’s license or license plate will be confiscated and released upon payment of fees; and towed or clamped vehicle will be released upon payment of the proper fees.
The General Services Office will dispose through public auction all unclaimed impounded vehicles within 90 days.
The auction will be posted at the designated posting area of City Hall and at designated bulletin board of the impounding area of the authorized government agency and the towing company for at least 15 days prior to the date of auction.
Schedule of auctions will be published in a newspaper of general circulation for at least once a week for two consecutive weeks.
The amended ordinance was submitted to the office of city mayor Benjamin Magalong for his signature and will take effect in accordance with the provisions of the Local Government Code.
April 24, 2024
