|
Friday, April 28, 2006
Transport group protests 'massive and arbitrary taxation on drivers'
PISTON, a large group of drivers in the country will hold a picket Friday to oppose "massive and arbitrary taxation on drivers."
In its press release sent to Sun.Star Iloilo, Piston secretary general Jun Abellon stated that the local government raised P1.2 million from arbitrary and massive arrests of drivers.
"The first quarter of this year saw a huge income of the local city government from the widespread and arbitrary arrests of drivers plying the city route. The local government itself reported a whopping P1.2 million income from these arrests for the first three months alone of this year."
"This is not surprising to us. People can see the blue uniformed men of the local city government assiduously arresting drivers - as if their sole and only task is to arrest drivers and not to ensure the smooth flow of traffic," Abellon added.
"The local government sits happily on its feet while it is waiting for its daily income pouring in from the blue traffic men at the city roads. Traffic management has come to meant huge income thus these blue men are neither bothered to warn drivers and commuters alike to refrain from non designated loading and unloading areas (a common traffic violation). Instead the blue men stand on the sides, wait for these drivers to commit the violation then happily get out from their hiding areas and slap the drivers with tickets.
But there is no let up for the poor drivers. Once they are apprehended they are slapped with a TOP which they have to pay at the city hall. As in most cases their tickets are written only with the very deceptive title of "Loading/Unloading" violation. Believing that they are to pay P40 for this violation (Ordinance 78 Section 2-B Loading/Unloading in Prohibited Zones) they find out that they instead have to pay P 100 because they are charged with Ordinance 170 (same violation of loading/unloading in non-designated area but which however authorizes the arresting officer to arrest and penalize both the driver and the commuter with a P100 and a P50 fine, respectively."
Furthermore, these loading/unloading areas are movable, placed in irrational areas (very limited space to accommodate the commuters waiting for a ride) or its implementation is arbitrarily dependent on the blue men themselves who would sometimes make the arrest depending on their mood.
Obviously, with the pending proposal to increase fines for common traffic violations pending in the city council, the drivers can only expect more arrests to come with heavier fines to pay. This is the very strategy of Traffic Management in the City - let the drivers commit violations then arrest and collect."
Piston heads the mobile picket protests today at identified symbolical areas where these massive arrests occur. The picket protest will be held in front of Jaro Plaza at 9 a.m. and in front of Avescor, M.H. del Pilar St., Molo at 3 p.m.
(April 28, 2006 issue)
Write letter to the editor. Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board. Click here. |
|
[return to top]
[home]
[network page]
|
LOCAL NEWS
BUSINESS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFESTYLE
FEATURE
|
