Implementation of counterflow EO starts Monday
THE executive order (EO) impounding counterflowing vehicles will be fully implemented tomorrow.
This to give the public a heads up of the EO which was signed by Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña last Friday.
Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) operations chief Francisco Ouano said traffic enforcers will be in the streets 24 hours a day to enforce EO No 34.
“Naa tay team nga mobile patrol nga maoy intended nga modakop sa mo-counter flow,” Ouano said.
(We have a mobile patrol team intended to apprehend those who will counter flow)
Ouano said that the mobile patrol is separate from traffic enforcers manning the traffic.
There will be eight mobile patrol teams of three personnel each from CCTO and one police officer, said Ouano.
“Hangyo nalang nato sa motorists nga di nalang mo counter flow kay dili g’yud ta magduha-duha sa pag-impound sa ilang sakyanan. Ang punto ra ni Mayor (Osmeña) ani is para sa pagdisiplina sa motorista ug to save more lives (on the road),” Ouano said.
(We urged the motorists not to counterflow because we will not hesitate to impound their vehicles. The Mayor just wants to discipline the motorists and to save more life on the roads)
Ouano said there are exemptions for ambulances, fire trucks, police cars and other vehicles responding to emergencies among others that are on emergency responds.
“Case to case basis pud siya. If ang taxi naay sakay nga emergency pwede ‘sab na siya,” Ouano explained.
(Case to case basis, like if taxis have emergencies then it can counterflow.)
The EO covers all forms of reckless driving, specifically “driving left or commonly known as driving counter flow”.
In his order, Osmeña said violations of basic traffic rules and regulations are rampant in city’s roads.
Pursuant to Republic Act 4136 otherwise known as Traffic Code of the Philippines, Osmeña declared all reckless driving especially counter flowing as nuisance per se.
Under the EO, reckless drivers or violators shall be prosecuted in accordance with the existing traffic laws, ordinances, circulars, rules, and regulations.
Once violators are apprehended their vehicles will be impounded for a period of not more than 30 days. There will be no fines or storage fees.
Osmeña on his Facebook post stated that he does not like imposing fines on violators as he wants the “rich and poor to suffer equally”.
Meanwhile, Pagkakaisa ng Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Opereytor (Piston) Cebu president Greg Perez said that the EO violated the national law.
He said that EO 34 overlaps RA 4136.
“Kami wa miingon nga uyon o wala kauyon, pero nakalapas g’yud siya sa nasudnong balaod. Dili angay iimpound ang mga sakyanan,” Perez said.
(We are not saying that we agree or disagree but the EO violates the national law. They should not impound the vehicles)
On the other hand, the Cebu Integrated Transport Cooperative (Citrasco) said they are glad about reinforcing existing laws which prohibit vehicles from counterflowing.
Citrasco chairperson, Ryan Benjamin Yu, told Cebu Daily News in a phone interview yesterday that the new EO will crackdown on motorists who do not comply with traffic rules and regulations.
“Well, once and for all, mabadlong na gyud ang mga nag pabadlong. Mawagtang na ang danger sa kadalanan nato (those who violate will finally be apprehended. Our roads will no longer be dangerous),” said Yu.
He also urged their member-drivers to always observe traffic rules.
“Kaning anti-counterflowing nga order, daan naman na nga balaod (This anti-counterflowing order, it’s an exisiting law). Simply follow traffic rules for your safety as well as for everyone in the road,” Yu added.
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