BACOLOD CITY – The Bacolod Traffic Authority Office (BTAO) conducted a clamping and towing operation in front of the University of Negros Occidental – Recoletos (UNO-R) campus along Lizares Street, Bacolod City on Thursday afternoon.
The operation targeted motorcycles that were illegally parked on the sidewalk or the road outside the university. According to BTAO, the motorcycles violated the city’s traffic ordinance and posed a hazard to pedestrians and motorists.
The clamped motorcycles were loaded onto a tow truck and brought to the BTAO impounding area, where the owners would have to pay a fine of P500 to retrieve them.
The operation coincided with the preliminary examinations of the students inside the campus. Some of the motorcycle owners were unaware of the operation and were surprised to find their vehicles missing when they finished their exams.
Veteran journalist Agnes Lira-Jundos, who witnessed the operation, posted a photo of the clamped motorcycles on Facebook. She captioned it: “On guard while clamped-bikes are readied for towing outside… and while student-owners are heads-on taking Prelim Exams inside.”
The photo drew mixed reactions from netizens, with some expressing sympathy for the students and others criticizing them for parking illegally.
BTAO said that the operation was part of their regular enforcement of traffic rules and regulations in the city. They urged the public to follow the parking guidelines and to respect the rights of pedestrians and other road users.