Ban on ‘bora-bora’ in upland barangays to start next week
THE Land Transportation Office (LTO) 7 gave motorcycle owners in upland barangays in Cebu City one week to remove modified mufflers commonly called as “bora-bora” from their vehicles.
After the deadline, LTO personnel will start apprehending vehicles that still use the noisy mufflers, which are banned by a city ordinance.
LTO’s action came after lawyer June Marianne Ediza, an anti-noise advocate, wrote to the office inquiring about the enforcement of Republic Act 8749 and its provision “regulating and controlling emissions of unwanted sound of a known source passed into the atmosphere.”
Ediza said LTO representatives went with her to barangays Apas, Busay and Malubog last Tuesday to warn drivers of the violation if they continue to use the modified mufflers.
As provided in the law, violators will have to pay a fine of P15,000.
Upland barangays are the first priority of the campaign because motorcycles are the main mode of mass transportation there.
“They are given one week to restore the original muffler, the one that has a silencer to avoid causing noise,” she said.
LTO 7 assistant chief of the operations division Ever Chuan led the visit in the three barangays last Tuesday.
Aside from the national law, Cebu City has City Ordinance (CO) 2411 or the Anti-Muffler Modification Ordinance which penalizes motorcycle drivers who use these devices.
Under the ordinance, a motorcycle driver with a noisy muffler will be fined P1,000 for the first offense, P2,000 for the second offense and P5,000 for the third offense.
Ediza also wrote Mayor Michael Rama to ask about the status of implementation of the local law.
Sought for comment, Rama said he supports the move to strictly enforce the ban on noisy mufflers even if he vetoed CO 2411 before.
Rama clarified that he wants clearer guidelines on the matter.
“We must also have equipment to determine whether the device produced noise beyond the required decibels. There are many equirements to look at. I am for anti-noise pollution,” he said.
Rama said he also wants the sale of modified mufflers regulated.
No driver would change his muffler for a louder unit if the device was not sold in the market.
Ediza said she would also write to the Department of Trade and Industry to raise her concerns about the sale of modified mufflers.
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