CEBU, Philippines – As he re-assumed office after returning from the US yesterday, Mayor Tomas Osmeña announced the operation of two private towing companies criticized by many as allegedly being abusive to motorists will continue.
Osmeña said the private towing companies are needed to maintain peace and order in the city’s streets.
Instead, Osmeña called on the public to ensure that their vehicles are properly parked and not to insist on occupying non-parking areas, including those within the vicinity of private hospitals. The mayor contended establishments such as hospitals must have parking spaces for vehicles of their clients.
However, should complaints persist, Osmeña said he will conduct a week-long experiment - three days with strict towing operations and two days without towing – to determine what will work best for the city and for its motorists.
But Barangay Tinago councilman Joel Garganera suspects some city officials, including Osmeña, allegedly receive a share from the income of the private towing companies hired by the City Traffic Operations Management.
An altercation between Garganera and members of One-Stop Towing Services almost ended up to a fistfight after the barangay official stopped the towing personnel from pulling out an illegally parked vehicle near an uptown hospital last April 8.
Garganera has questioned the manner by which the city acquired the services of the two towing firms but Osmeña said the city allowed the operations of Road Warriors Towing Services and One-Stop Towing Services even without public bidding because no public funds are reportedly involved from the part of the city. Instead, it is the city that reportedly receives 25 percent from the gross income of the towing firms.
The mayor said any private tow firm can be allowed to engage in the towing of illegally-parked vehicles as long as they have CITOM endorsement.
The towing of illegally-parked vehicles caught the spotlight after Garganera intervened and stopped tow personnel from pulling out a vehicle near the Cebu Doctors Hospital. The controversy intensified when some tow personnel allegedly mauled a traffic violator who allegedly tried to escape.
Towing personnel caught one Freddie Teopez driving his motorcycle without wearing a crash helmet somewhere in barangay Camputhaw but Teopez allegedly refused to stop when flagged down, which prompted the towing personnel to chase him until he was cornered at the Fuente Osmeña.
There were suggestions that the city should stop hiring the services of private towing companies and instead acquire tow trucks on its own but Osmeña rejected the suggestion saying the city cannot afford the equipment and that maintenance would reportedly be very costly.
He cited as an example the street sweeper machine that the city acquired before, which was not taken cared of until such time that the machine could no longer be used.
Based on the contract between the city and the private towing companies, the city will receive 25 percent of the towing fees collected by the towing firms. The towing fee for four-wheeled vehicles is P2,500 while towing fee for motorcycles is at P1,500. – Rene U. Borromeo/JMO (THE FREEMAN)