THE City Council of Baguio approved on first reading a proposed ordinance amending Article 10, Section 1 of the Transportation and Traffic Ordinance of the city and declared various areas in the city to be established as strictly no-speeding zones or slow speed zones.
Authored by Councilor Lilia Fariñas, the ordinance stated 4-wheel drive vehicles and motorcycles will be allowed to travel at a speed of not more than 30 kilometers per hour.
The streets with corresponding speed limits are Session Road, Harrison Road, Gov. Pack Road, Magsaysay Avenue, Naguilian Road, Buhagan Road, Leonard Wood Road, Military Cut-off Road, Kisad Road, and Legarda Road, which are classified as strictly no-speeding roads.
Bonifacio Street, Rimando Road, Manuel Roxas Road, Gen. Luna Road, Assumption Road, Mabini Street, Government Center Road, TM Kalaw Street, North Drive, Brent Road, Happy Glen Loop road and Laurel Street are also classified as strictly no-speeding areas and vehicles are only allowed to have a maximum speed of 25 kilometers per hour.
The ordinance added all barangays and streets not earlier mentioned were classified as strictly no-speeding zones and vehicles are only allowed a maximum speed of 25 kilometers per hour.
The Baguio City public market area and roads leading to tourist destinations will be declared as slow-speed zone and motor vehicles are only allowed to have a maximum speed of 20 kilometers per hour.
In slow-speed zones or in a speed zone whether in a built-up area or not, or at a speed faster than the indicated by the speed limit sign at the beginning of the speed zone and elsewhere, maximum speed should not exceed 60 kilometers per hour.
The ordinance tasked the Baguio City Police Office–Traffic Management Branch, duly authorized traffic enforcers and barangay officials and tanods to apprehend drivers of vehicles who violate the pertinent provisions of the local legislative measure.
Under the proposal, drivers who are found to have violated the provisions of the measure shall be fined P150 for the first offense, P300 for the second offense, and P500 for the third offense.
The ordinance stated most traffic accidents are allegedly caused by over-speeding based on the report from the European Transport Safety Council that stressed that the relationship between speed and road accidents has been studied extensively and it is very clear the higher the speed, the greater the probability of a crash and the severity of the crashes.
Fariñas claimed sadly, some vehicular accidents in the city even happen within the vicinity of schools where speed limits are supposed to be enforced and despite the presence of traffic enforcers, careless drivers speed up and go beyond the maximum speed limits whenever they get the opportunity to do so without regard to public places where vulnerable people, such as senior citizens, pregnant women, children, and students, consistently cross. (With reports from Alvin Orpilla, Colegio de Dagupan Intern/SunStar Baguio)