No fines, no storage fees, just impound vehicles for 30 days

COUNTERFLOW/JAN. 24, 2018: Cebu City mayor Tomas Osmeña announced that even motorcycles who will counterflow like this on A soriano street and pass through the sidewalks will also be aprrehended.(CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)

EO on Counterflow

Cebu City Councilor Raymond Garcia is proposing an amendment to the traffic code, increasing the penalty for counter-flowing from P500 to P2,000.

This after Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña announced that he will issue an executive order (EO) directing traffic enforcers in the city to impound all vehicles, including motorcycles caught counterflowing in the streets.

The mayor said he was not interested in the fines or the money that the city can get from traffic violations.

“I will study it. I’m not interested in fines. No fines. I will just keep their vehicles for 30 days. No storage fee. Free storage,” the mayor said during his press conference yesterday.

Councilor Garcia however said although the mayor’s EO is sufficient to implement a 30-day impoundment of counterflowing vehicles, there is also a need to increase the penalties for traffic violations.

“If the motorists will just follow traffic rules, it would greatly improve the traffic situation here in the city,” he told the reporters during the Kapihan sa mga Konsehal yesterday.

During last week’s council session, Councilor Joel Garganera filed an ordinance for the codification of the existing traffic ordinance in the city.

“My suggestion is to increase all the penalties for all violations. We will amend the particular traffic code after ma-codify ni Councilor Joel ang tanang traffic codes,” Garcia said.

Fair warning

The mayor is set to issue next week the EO allowing the Cebu City Traffic Office (CCTO) to impound vehicles that are counter-flowing.

Yesterday the CCTO caught an armored car counter-flowing. It was however not impounded as there was still no EO.

“Let this be a warning to all armored cars. I’ll cancel their business permit,” Osmeña said.

Until the EO is ready, he said this week will be a warning stage for all drivers.

Motorcycles of drivers who will also use the sidewalks instead of the streets will be impounded.

Garcia said CCTO currently has 278 traffic enforcers which he said is insufficient to man the streets given the number of motorists who violate traffic rules.

He said he will suggest to the council to increase the number of traffic enforcers to 500.

Happy

Among the motorists who welcomed the mayor’s proposed EO is Luke Ivern Cartilla, a resident of Barangay Guadalupe, who travels to school daily.

“Usa gyud sa advantages kay iwas disgrasya, kay ang uban mu counterflow toud pero kusog kaayu magpadagan. Mao na’y usa ka rason ngano daghan ma disrasya,” he told Cebu Daily News.

(It would be a great advantage as it will prevent accidents. Many vehicles that counterflow also speed. That is one of the reasons for vehicular accidents).

Cartilla said this will discipline drivers who seem to ignore basic traffic rules.