Traffic enforcers apprehend at least 81 motorcycle drivers who violated the ordinance banning the use of face masks, bonnets and tinted full face visors.
CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA
NO TINTED VISORS, FACE MASKS
ALMOST a hundred motorcycle drivers were issued citation tickets asMandaue City started implementing the ordinance prohibiting motorcycle riders from wearing full face tinted visors on helmets and face masks yesterday.
The Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue (TEAM) issued citation tickets carrying a P5,000 penalty to those wearing face masks and bonnets.
Those apprehended for not wearing the prescribed helmet were only issued a P500 citation ticket.
At least 81 motorcycle drivers were apprehended as of 5 p.m. on Monday. Glenn Antigua, operations chief of TEAM, said that most of these drivers wore face masks and many of them were not from Mandaue City.
However, Antigua said, many of those apprehended wearing bonnets and face masks reasoned that they were not aware of the newly implemented traffic ordinance.
“Duha ka semana ta nga naghimo og information drive ani, then napublish na ni sa mga newspaper, naaprobahan na ni niadtong November 2017, nahibalo man sila o wala pero balaud na ni,” said Antigua.
(We have been conducting an information drive on this for two weeks. It was published in the newspapers and was approved last November 2017. Whether they were aware or not, this is already a law).
In the morning, 15 motorcycle riders were apprehended for wearing bonnets and face masks.
Antigua reiterated that motorbikers don’t have to buy new helmets. They just have to lift the tinted visors of their helmets when they are in Mandaue City and that their helmets must be the kind prescribed by the LTO.
Antigua brought samples of the prescribed and unprescribed kinds of helmets during a press conference yesterday as there were also confusion about the kinds of helmet that are approved by the Land Transportation Office (LTO).
Sunglasses are not prohibited, clarified Antigua, after receiving information that some motorbikers complained that they were apprehended for wearing sun glasses. He said they can come to his office to cancel the citation ticket so that he could also reprimand the enforcers who issued the citation ticket.
All 220 traffic enforcers in Mandaue were deployed to implement the ordinance. Antigua said that they did not allow any enforcers to take a leave yesterday.
Most of the apprehensions were on M.C. Briones St.
He expects that it would at least be a month before motorbikers would be fully aware of the new traffic ordinance.
“I settle dayon nila ilang issued citation tickets. Pero if dili gani, after seven days di sila maka settle sa ilang violation ato g’yud sila file-an og kaso,” Antigua said.
(They should settle their citation tickets immediately. If they don’t settle it within seven days, then we will be forced to file a case against them).
Lapu-Lapu
Lapu-Lapu City apparently also has an ordinance prohibiting the wearing of face masks, bonnets and helmets with tinted visors, which was approved almost ten years ago but has never been implemented.
The traffic ordinance was sponsored by Councilor Eduardo Cuizon, and approved and signed by then Lapu-Lapu City Mayor and now Rep. Arturo Radaza and then Vice-Mayor Mario Amores in 2009.
Mario Napule, Officer-in-charge of the City Traffic Management System (CTMS) of Lapu-Lapu City said, that since he worked with CTMS during the incumbency of CTMS Chief Frank Brazil, he could not remember having implemented the ordinance nor was he even aware that there was such an ordinance.
“Wala sab ko mahibalo og unsa’y rason nga naghimo sila ana nga traffic ordinance ug ngano nga wala ma-implementar,” said Napule. (I also don’t know the reason why they have made that traffic ordinance and why it was not implemented).
Napule said they have to discuss the matter with the Traffic Board of the city.
“Maayo siguro kon ang traffic police maoy unang mo-implementar na unya mosunod lang mi,” added Napule. (Maybe it would be better if the traffic police would first implement it and we will follow later).
Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza was also unaware of that particular ordinance.
The city’s Police Traffic Division Chief, Chief Insp. Jimmy Fortes also said he was not aware of such an ordinance and was still in the process of getting a copy.
“Nangayo pa ko sa kopya sa city traffic ordinance kay maayo man sab nanga ma-implementar isip usa sa mga paagi sa pagsumpo sa motor riding-in-tandem criminals,” said Fortes.
(I am still asking for a copy of that ordinance as it would also be good to implement it as one way of solving motor-riding criminals).
Also seeing an advantage to Mandaue’s banning of bonnets, face masks and tinted visors but he replied that they have not thought about it yet but as long as motorbikers do wear their helmets and shoes, that would be fine.
But he said, that maybe in the future they will also create such an ordinance but as of the moment wherein motor-riding criminals have been involved in the recent series of killings in the city, he just leaves it to the police to make preventive measures and intensify their visibility.
He said that being traffic division chief, they come and go and it should be the local traffic enforcement who will implement it as the ordinance was made by the city council. T
he former city officials could not be reached for comment. But according to Napule that during the time of former Mayor Arturo Radaza, there were also killings perpetrated by motor riding-in-tandem.