TO MITIGATE traffic jams during peak hours, the City Transport and Traffic Management Office (CTTMO) is set to strengthen its enforcement of the 20-second rule for public utility vehicles (PUVs) in yellow boxes or loading/non-loading areas.
CTTMO Head Dionisio Abude, in an interview with the City Information Office on Tuesday, said this rule has long been implemented in Davao City but its strict enforcement was eased when CTTMO personnel enforcing the policy were assigned to the Davao City Coastal Road to man the traffic flow there.
Abude said 36 new traffic personnel will be assigned to yellow box monitoring to ensure that PUVs, specifically jeepneys, will not stay in designated loading/unloading areas longer than 20 seconds.
“Mag-focus na pud mi sa atong loading/unloading, kadtong yellow box na diin gi-implementar nato ang 20-second rule nga diin pag dili ka muhawa within 20 seconds, tiketan ka na (We will also focus on loading/unloading areas, those yellow boxes where we are implementing the 20-second rule where drivers will be given citation tickets for not leaving the area within 20 seconds),” said Abude.
Apprehended drivers, he said, will be issued citation tickets for disregarding traffic signs. Violators of the policy, he added, will have their city-issued PUV IDs captured and checked for validation. Drivers found to have expired or fake PUV IDs will be penalized.
“Kung expired ka or wala kay display na PUV ID, considered na siya nga duna ka’y penalty na P1,000 kay diri man na kwaon. Libre man na siya nga PUV ID nga gina-issue sa atong opisina sa city government after makahuman ka sa atong PUV Driver’s Education Program (If your ID is expired or fake, you will have to pay the penalty of P1,000 because the ID is free. It is issued by our office of the city government after PUV drivers finish our PUV Driver’s Education Program),” Abude said.
The CTTMO’s bike lane monitoring team, Abude said, is also intensifying its efforts to keep roads free of illegally parked cars. Barangay governments whose streets are rampant with illegally parked vehicles are regularly being alarmed by the CTTMO and the Davao City Police Office-Traffic Enforcement Unit.
However, he said the CTTMO does not have the manpower to constantly monitor all inner city streets for illegal parking.
“In every area dili lang gyud ta makahatag og permanent na traffic enforcers, but nagalibot-libot ang atong enforcers. Every now and then na duna’y maagian nga illegal then bilinan siya og citation ticket kung wala siyay driver makita (We just cannot assign permanent traffic enforcers in all areas but they roam around. Every now and then they issue tickets to violators they pass by and leave them on the vehicle when no owner is in sight),” he added.
The CTTMO is also campaigning for drivers to keep intersections open by giving way to the Right Hand Rule or to the T-intersection Rule.
“Kanang mu-cross ka na sa intersection nga dapat kung kabalo ka na nga di ka na kaabot, dapat dili na nimo babagan ang intersection (When crossing an intersection and you know you’re not going to make it then do not block the path),” Abude warned.
These traffic measures along with the enforcement of the new speed limit policy, the CTTMO chief said, are meant to ensure a safe and orderly traffic situation in the city. To achieve this, Abude called for the cooperation of all motorists to show discipline while driving and practice basic road courtesy to other motorists.
“Ang atong opisina nagapaningkamot ug nagahangyo sa tanang motorista na murespeto gyud sa traffic rules and regulations. Ato ning respetuhon, especially kining atong bagong balaud karon na speed limit ordinance of Davao City. Ug unta para sa mga drayber na magmaneho, mupagtigbabaw unta ang pagkapabana ug ang concern sa ubang motorista mugamit sa atong kalsada (Our office is trying and asking all motorists to respect the traffic rules and regulations. We will respect this, especially our new law now, the speed limit ordinance of Davao City. And for drivers who are behind the wheel, awareness and concern of other motorists who use our road should prevail),” Abude said. CIO