AN OFFICIAL from the City Transport and Traffic Management Office (CCTMO) said marked vehicles such as medical workers’ cars responding to emergencies and hospital ambulances are exempted from Davao City’s New Speed Limit Ordinance.
Dionisio Abude, CTTMO Head, revealed in a radio interview on Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR) on Friday, January 5, 2024, that these vehicles, especially those carrying wounded or injured patients are automatically exempted from the newly-passed ordinance.
He added that vehicles from 911, the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (CDRRMO), accredited disaster volunteers, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Philippine National Police (PNP), Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), and any private person that is responding to an emergency are also exempted from the ordinance.
The City Ordinance 0270-23 series of 2023, also known as the New Speed Limit Ordinance of Davao City, is scheduled to be enforced on January 11, 2024.
CTTMO has distributed information, education, and communication (IEC) materials in several areas to inform the public of the revised speed limit in the city. The office also has already installed about 1,500 signages across the city.
Unlike the previous speed limit executive order, the ordinance sets a top speed limit of 60 kilometer per hour (kph) for motorbikes and light vehicles; 50 kph on open highways for trucks, buses, and passenger vans; 40 kph for light vehicles; and 30 kph for heavy vehicles on through streets.
Both light and heavy vehicles are restricted to 30 kph on city streets, while 20 kph is the speed limit for both categories on congested roadways.
Fines for offenders are P1,000 for the first offense; P2,000 for the second offense; and P5,000 for the third and final offense. Offenders are given seven calendar days to pay; if they cannot able to pay on the deadline, they will be penalized with another P500. RGP
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