BACOLOD City Councilor Dindo Ramos, chairperson of the City Council committee on transportation, is not in favor to increase the traffic violations penalty in the city.
This, after Bacolod Traffic Authority Office (BTAO) head Police Lieutenant Colonel Luisito Acebuche earlier said that he will recommend to the City Council to increase the penalties on double parking violators, obstruction, as well as the jaywalking from P100 to P1,000 and above.
“Regardless of the amount of the penalty, big or small, if the law is not being implemented by our authorities, it’s still useless. The implementation is necessity and it should be strictly enforce by BTAO to arrest the violators,” Ramos said.
He said the motorists or commuters will also obey the law if the local authority is strictly enforcing it.
“Strict implementation of the ordinance is very important because regardless of the penalty, if it’s not being implemented, it’s useless,” he added.
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) also earlier recommended to BTAO to strictly enforce anti-jaywalking ordinance and traffic rules to arrest violators.
Acebuche also said that two teams of traffic enforcers were already deployed to various areas to enforce the anti-jaywalking ordinance and arrest the double parking violators in the roads.
In December 2018, the MMDA conducted a 12-day study in Bacolod City for free.
The MMDA performs planning, monitoring and coordinative functions, and in the process, exercises regulatory and supervisory authority over the delivery of metro-wide services within Metro Manila.
A traffic master plan could cost millions if done by private groups but MMDA is assisting Bacolod City for free.