The case involving a driver with a flat tire who was issued a citation by enforcers of the Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) instead of being assisted went viral on social media. It is a good thing the CCTO acted quickly to rectify the matter. Otherwise, it would have resulted in more negative publicity for the traffic office.
It appears the matter captured the attention of Assistant Secretary Markus Lacanilao, Land Transportation Office (LTO) chief, based on the Facebook post of retired colonel Bonifacio Laqui Bosita, chairman of the Riders’ Safety Advocates of the Philippines. Bosita posted that Lacanilao investigated and dismissed the enforcers in Cebu City who were involved in repeated complaints from motorists.
Raquel Arce, in a Facebook post, said that after hearing the side of the two enforcers and the complainant, they found lapses in the apprehension.
To those who do not know the background of the story, the enforcers issued a ticket to the driver for “Parking on the Sidewalk” at the South Road Properties (SRP). For all intents and purposes, this is not an area known for parking, illegal or otherwise. The enforcers were reminded that the driver was not “parking.” Rather, he pulled his vehicle over to avoid obstructing the flow of traffic so he could change the flat tire.
By definition, parking is “the act of stopping, disengaging, and leaving a vehicle in a designated area for a period of time.” Because the driver never left the side of his vehicle, he was not parking.
At any rate, the two enforcers were referred to the mediation team for a possible four-day refresher course to be taken during their days off.
They were not dismissed. So maybe they were not the same persons the LTO chief referred to in Bosita’s post. If they were, then maybe Arce has yet to receive the order. I am not even sure if the CCTO is under the jurisdiction of the LTO. If it is, then the two enforcers can say goodbye to the refresher course and look for another job. If not, well, Arce has other more pressing matters to attend to.
But then in Bosita’s post, he said that “under the order of Honorable Mayor Nestor D. Archival of Cebu City, the CCTO acted on the wrongful apprehension by their enforcers regarding a driver who had properly pulled over his truck due to a flat tire.”
As a result, the ticket issued to the driver was cancelled and the driver was not required to pay the fine, which Arce echoed in her own post.
Bosita then wrote that “we are ensured that this will not happen again.”
So it would seem that the LTO was referring to the two enforcers.
Anyway, the question that keeps nagging me is: What were the two enforcers doing in that area when there was hardly any traffic? In the video of the incident, you can see the vehicles on the Cebu South Coastal Road in the background speeding past. As for the truck, it was the only vehicle by the side of the highway and was conspicuously isolated. I guess what the CCTO enforcers saw was a traffic infraction as opposed to a motorist needing assistance.
If they are really serious about apprehending offenders, they do not have to go far. Trust me. The Opinion section of SunStar has received many complaints from residents, while I have devoted several columns to the problem of illegal parking, particularly along R.R. Landon St. and the vicinity of the Police Regional Office 7 headquarters.
If you do not know what I am talking about, I am referring to the area beside the Cebu Normal University and the road across it leading to the entrance of the Cebu City Sports Center. If I am not mistaken, there is a “Clamping Zone” sign, or maybe it is a “Towing” sign; either way, that side of the road should be clear of vehicles. But apparently, enforcers would rather go after people who are trying to earn an honest living.
It is not only that. What about the rampant parking on sidewalks? Just walk from Fuente Osmeña Circle down to the downtown area and you see the problem on either side. Do not get me wrong. I have seen some vehicles clamped maybe on one or two occasions every six months or so, even though the illegal parking persists every day.
The violations are glaring because they are out in the open for everyone to see. And yet, somehow, the CCTO has managed to miss them. How convenient.
Now, if Arce was really serious about her “office’s commitment to fair and proper traffic enforcement in Cebu City,” then let me see her office address this matter immediately. Otherwise, we can all go back to the real world where we all know that certain rules do not apply to certain people.