LA TRINIDAD, Benguet -- The Benguet Provincial Police Office recommended the establishment of a Traffic Management Office to oversee the engineering, enforcement and education areas of traffic management in efforts to help prevent vehicular accidents in the province.
With accidents happening almost every day along major thoroughfares, there is a need for a TMO to be manned by the government, non government organizations and other stakeholders as the Land Transportation Office and the police force cannot do it alone, Police Superintendent Peter Tagtag Jr, Deputy Police Director for Operations, explained during the recent first quarter meeting of the Provincial Peace and Order Council.
Tagtag reported most accidents recorded in the province this year involved private vehicles.
From January 1 to March 15, 108 private vehicles were recorded to have been involved in traffic incidents, 103 for encounters between private to private vehicles, and 56 for public to private vehicles. There were also 49 cases involving motorcycle with private vehicles compared to the 17 with public cars.
Traffic accidents which happened mostly along major roads totaled to 336 and were mainly due to human error owing to the skill and discipline of the driver who at that time may be reckless, tired or drunk, according to Tagtag.
Specifically, 213 were recorded in this capital town, followed by Tuba 66, Itogon 20, Buguias 16, and Atok 21.
Two other factors attributed to vehicular accidents are mechanical defect and road condition which includes the terrain.
Tagtag admitted the PPO is having difficulty in managing traffic concerns because interventions are not aligned with different agencies, thus the need for the TMO.
He also stressed the need to install more directional traffic signage even as he said that some are vandalized or stolen.
Other interventions identified are apprehension of traffic violators especially drugged and drunk drivers, conduct of symposium and consultation to school, barangay and transport groups and other stakeholders, traffic education to reach out to owners and drivers of private vehicles, and distribution of information education campaign materials to avoid traffic accident. (SA)