The Public Safety Transportation and Management Office (PSTMO) is seeking to increase the fines for people apprehended for jaywalking in Iloilo City.
Jeck Conlu, head of the city government’s PSTMO, said higher penalties would discourage pedestrians from violating the anti-jaywalking ordinance.
Based on the existing ordinance, the minimum fine for jaywalkers in the city is only P50.
Conlu said he already issued a recommendation to the Sangguniang Panlungsod the amend the ordinance.
Last week, the PSTMO apprehended more than 50 jaywalkers, mostly students and mall employees.
Conlu said they would launch an all-out campaign against jaywalking.
Part of the campaign is the deployment of more deputized traffic personnel to go after jaywalkers.
“Importante nga mapahibalo ta sa publiko ang husto nga paggamit sang pedestrian lane kag overpass para malikawan ang disgrasya,” Conlu said.
Meanwhile, the PSTMO vowed to “double its efforts” against pedicabs and tricycles plying national roads.
“This time it will be a joint operation with law enforcement agencies, maybe starting next week,” he said in a report by the Philippine News Agency.
From Jan. to Feb. 20 this year, the PSTMO apprehended 776 tricycles plying national roads.
According to Conlu, there are around 5,000 tricycles in the city and almost half of them are colorum or unregistered.
Based on data from the PSTMO, as 2016, Iloilo City has 27 national roads and 121 local streets (city roads).
Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año recently signed a memorandum reminding all local government units (LGUs) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) of the law that no tricycles and pedicabs should operate on national highways.
“Bilang bahagi ng ating road-clearing effort at pagpapaluwag ng kalsada, pinapaalala natin sa ating mga kababayan na bawal ang mga tricycle at pedicab sa national highway,” he said.
“Huwag na po tayong makulit at marami na din pong mga aksidente na nangyari bunga ng kapabayaan dito,” Año added.IMT
Photo by Lew Dls
