SP OKs one-time impounding fee for unclaimed motor vehicles

THE 19th City Council during its regular session Monday presided over by Vice Mayor Raineir Joaquin V. Uy enacted an ordinance levying a fixed one-time charge for the accumulated liability representing towing and impounding fees of unclaimed motor vehicles impounded in the prior years at the Roads and Traffic Administration (RTA) at the rate of P3,000.00 per unit regardless of vehicle type and category provided that the same will be redeemed within 180 days from the effectivity of the ordinance.

In his letter to the City Council committee on roads and traffic management chaired by Councilor Romeo V. Calizo, RTA Department Head Rizalino R. Borlagdatan cited that the imposition of the amnesty was to encourage the lawful owners of impounded motor vehicles to redeem their units.

Furthermore, the RTA reported that its impounding area is now near its full capacity due to the hundreds of unclaimed impounded vehicles probably because of the accumulated impounding fees the owners have to pay to redeem the same.

In order to decongest its impounding area, RTA recommended the imposition of a one-time charge for the accumulated liability of the unclaimed vehicles.

Under the Traffic Code, the city charges a minimum of a P100 impounding fee per day. It also authorizes the public auctioning of impounded vehicles not claimed within 90 days. However, the city government has yet to formulate guidelines for the purpose, The Gavel learned.

The legislation was reviewed and endorsed by the committees on roads and traffic management and on laws and rules, chaired by Councilors Romeo V. Calizo and Ian Mark Q. Nacaya, respectively.