Battle of the tow trucks on EDSA

Expect a dog-eat-dog world from now on for towing firms, following a new directive issued by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA).

MMDA traffic chief Angelito Vergel de Dios said there will only be 16 tow trucks to be accredited for the entire stretch of EDSA.

The tow trucks will be designated in four sectors of the major thoroughfare. They will operate on a 24-hour basis to handle all stalled vehicles.

De Dios said a strict enforcement of the sectoral assignments would be implemented in order to prevent moonlighting activities among the tow trucks.

As a result, the tow trucks in each sector would have to compete for the limited number of stalled vehicles in their respective areas.

De Dios said the MMDA intends to attain the 15-minute target for removing stalled vehicles.

The MMDA noted that a single stalled vehicle can cause a huge traffic jam on EDSA, which can delay travel time by around 30 to 45 minutes.

Each sector of EDSA will have at least one tow truck that can handle trucks and buses.

De Dios pointed out that sanctions would be imposed on tow trucks that fail to arrive when they are needed at their designed areas.

However, De Dios said few tow trucks have been accredited because of their failure to comply with the requirements.

Among the requirements for accreditation are the securing of yellow license plates from the Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board, and provision of two-way radios and uniforms for all the crew members. – Marvin Sy