AROUND 50 motorists were apprehended by Mandaue City's Traffic Enforcement Agency (Team) for illegally counterflowing following their random checkpoints since last week.
Hyll Retuya, assistant department head of Team, announced on Tuesday, March 5, 2024, that they are taking measures to strengthen traffic rules enforcement in the city.
According to Retuya, majority of the apprehensions involved motorcycles.
He declined to disclose which streets had checkpoints to prevent motorists from avoiding these areas.
Retuya said the move is part of their continuous effort to ensure road safety and reduce traffic violations.
As a result of their efforts, he said the number of counterflowing vehicles has decreased, although they still apprehend some violators.
Retuya showed last week a video of an SUV blocking motorcycles that were counterflowing on JP Rizal Street, Barangay Basak, Mandaue City. The video went viral online, making motorists more aware of the traffic violation.
Retuya urged motorists to not normalize counterflowing but instead manage their time better to arrive at their destinations on time.
He said most drivers counterflow to reach their appointments quickly.
To discourage counterflowing, Team issues citation tickets worth P1,000 for any vehicle caught violating the rule.
Retuya said the recently conducted random checkpoints were supported by the Traffic Enforcement Unit (TEU) and the police Highway Patrol Group (HPG).
During these checkpoints, the TEU and HPG also issued a Temporary Operator's Permit (TOP) to heavy traffic violators.
Though unable to provide exact figures, Retuya said the TOP requires much bigger penalties compared to the ordinary citation tickets issued by Team.
These penalties also include the confiscation of the driver's license, which can be claimed at the Land Transportation Office Central Visayas office.
Retuya also said that they intend to coordinate regularly with TEU and HPG to prevent motorists from committing traffic violations again in each of their random checkpoint operations.
He clarified that their enforcement does not only focus on motorcycles but also four-wheeled vehicles.
He said the team is also committed to implementing other traffic rules to ensure safety for all road users. (HIC)