THE Cebu City Government will no longer require motorcycle riders to wear reflectorized vests after the measure received mixed feedback.
Instead, it will be optional for riders to wear such gear, said Mayor Tomas Osmeña in a news conference. He made the decision after receiving several texts on the newly approved ordinance making reflectorized vests mandatory for motorcycle riders. The announcement was posted in his official Facebook page on April 6.
“Given your feedback, I will not let the ordinance come into effect. We will find another way.”
Last March 20, the City Council approved an ordinance amending Article 24 and Section 10 of Article 25 of City Ordinance 801, which establishes the Cebu City Traffic Code.
Sponsored by Councilor Dave Tumulak, the amendatory ordinance increases the administrative fines for traffic violators, prohibits the obstruction of pedestrian lanes and street intersections, and requires the wearing of reflective vests during the night for motorcycle riders.
The current administrative fine of P500 will now be P1,000.
If the violator cannot pay the fine, he will be required to render four hours of community service.
If charges are filed, the violator will be fined between P3,000 and P5,000, or imprisoned for six months.
Earlier, Tumulak, chairman of the committee on public order and safety, said 40 percent of the vehicular accidents recorded in Cebu City in the last 15 months involved motorcycles.
From January 2017 to March 2018, the Cebu City Police Office Traffic Patrol Group (CCPO-TG) recorded 15,218 road accidents. Of this number, 6,087 involved motorcycles.
From January to March this year, CCPO-TG already recorded 2,935 accidents. Tumulak said the accidents were mostly caused by poor road visibility.
But Mayor Osmeña believes that reckless public utility jeepney drivers also cause many of these road mishaps. In his news conference yesterday, the mayor told reporters that he will ask Tumulak to file another amendatory ordinance.
“It’s not illegal to wear a reflectorized vest. If you want to keep safe, then you wear it. I would (wear it),” he said.
Meanwhile, Osmeña said that since the City Transportation Office has only around 200 tire clamps, the traffic enforcers have been directed to issue citation tickets to drivers caught illegally parking vehicles. “Sooner or later, everything will come out in your record and your registration will not be renewed until you pay your tickets,” he said. (RTF)