DAVAO City Councilor Diosdado Angelo R. Mahipus Jr. is pushing for a comprehensive review of the city’s traffic enforcement ordinances, local road design standards, and intersection controls following a sharp rise in road crash incidents.
Citing a report from the Traffic Enforcement Unit (TEU), Mahipus said the city must act urgently to improve road safety.
Speaking during his privilege speech on Tuesday, August 5, 2025, Mahipus urged the 21st City Council to support a review of traffic policies and identify high-risk zones. He emphasized the need to consult technical experts from the City Transport and Traffic Management Office (CTTMO), TEU, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), and the city’s planning and traffic engineers.
“Let us also give space for the public and key stakeholders to contribute to the formulation of responsive and data-driven solutions. If this calls for a committee hearing or multi-sectoral forum, then we must set that in motion,” Mahipus said at the Sangguniang Panlungsod.
He underscored the human cost of inaction, saying the city owes it to the families who’ve lost loved ones and to everyone who uses Davao’s roads daily. He called on the council to act “with urgency, with clarity, and with resolve.”
Mahipus warned against treating the rising number of crashes as routine. The causes, he said, are already well known: distracted driving, use of mobile phones, driver fatigue, and disregard for traffic rules.
He also identified the top crash-prone areas: C.P. Garcia Highway, McArthur Highway, Cabantian, Panacan, and Maa.
His proposal was referred jointly to the Committee on Public Works and Highways and the Committee on Transportation and Communication for further study and recommendation.
According to the TEU, Davao City recorded a 31.3 percent increase in road crashes in the first seven months of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. From January to July this year, 2,598 road crashes were recorded — up from 1,998 during the same period last year.
TEU chief Lt. Col. Christian Antonio D. Garcia, in a report delivered on July 30, said the TEU is working with the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to train more enforcers on proper traffic management and enforcement laws.
The TEU is also calling on motorists to observe traffic rules, drive responsibly, and stay alert behind the wheel to help curb the rising number of incidents. RGP