Habal drivers wary of fetching kids

SILOY IS WATCHING: A single passenger motorcycle (Haba-Habal) was seen passing CPDRC barangay Kalunasa boarding four passengers including children which is seated on the right led of his other that cuases danger an aware of the accident that may fall her down.

Emmanuel Capalac, a motorcyle-for-hire (habal-habal) driver, earns more than P800 a day driving students and parents with their kids to their destinations.

But a new law that prohibits motorcycle drivers from transporting children below 10 years old means Capalac can expect a substantial cut in his income.

“Wala g’yud koy mabuhat kun di mobalibad og pasahero kaysa ako ang makabayad kung madakpan (I do not have any other choice but to decline to accept passengers than to pay the penalty if I get caught),” Capalac said.

Republic Act 10666 makes it unlawful for any person to drive a motorcycle with a child on board on public roads unless the child passenger can reach his/her feet on the motorcycle’s foot peg and can hold on to the driver’s waist.

Mandaue City has been enforcing a similar law since January this year.

The city ordinance prohibits both habal-habal and private motorcycle riders from taking in small children.

Glenn Antigua, head of the city’s Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue (Team), said they have recorded more than 20 vehicular accidents a day.
The city also registered 400 accidents a month of which 40 percent involve motorcycle riders.

“Bisan pa og masuko ang mga motorista, mo-enforce g’yud mi sa balaod kay para man pud na sa ilang safety (Even if we get a lot of angry motorcycle drivers, we will still enforce this law because this is for their safety),” Antigua said.

Antigua said Team officers continually explain the city’s traffic laws to drivers.

In Lapu-Lapu City, traffic enforcers were ordered to apprehend motorcycle riders with child passengers.

Roderick Daño, acting chief of the City Traffic Management System (CTMS), said the traffic enforcers have not issued a citation ticket ever since the law took effect last May 19.

He said many motorcycle riders thought the law would apply only to motorcycle riders in the cities of Cebu and Mandaue and not to them.

Romy Arsolon, a habal-habal driver in Mandaue City, said lawmakers didn’t realize that parents spend less on fares if they allow their children to ride habal-habal motorcycles.

Daño said he hopes that the Land Transportation Office (LTO) will deputize them to issue Temporary Operator’s Permit to serve as deterrent to violators.

He said they can only issue citation tickets that fine violators P100 with no confiscation of licenses./Correspondents Agnes Alpuerto and