By TYRONE A. VELEZ
Davao Today
DAVAO CITY– City’s traffic officials announced that around 300 drivers were caught over the week for violating traffic and vehicle rules, but none of them were the uso-uso (fast engine) drivers.
This was announced during Monday’s Kapehan sa Dabaw media forum attended by Traffic Management Center chief Retired Colonel Dionisio Abude, Highway Patrol Chief Senior Superintendent Greg Pimentel and Land Transport Franchising and Regulatory Board –Davao officer Edgar Violan.
Violan told reporters that most of the violations included defective headlights in their vehicles and overloading and over-speeding; cases were rampant along Matina Crossing.
This comes a week after Mayor Rodrigo Duterte ordered traffic enforcers to go after uso-uso jeepneys (passenger vehicles with modified engines) and drag racers and have them arrested for violating traffic laws and endangering the public.
Violan proposed a pro-active approach by going after suspected jeepneys and order them to submit to inspection of their engines.
“Probably the suspected uso-uso (drivers) did not drive anymore,” said Violan. “But this time we don’t have to wait for them on the streets, we will go to their place and order them for inspection.”
The LTFRB has listed 40 suspected vehicles with modified engines, which according to Violan, violates their registration.
“They will be advised to go to the Land Transport Office (LTO) for inspection. And if they are found violating the registration, they will be ordered to change their engines,” Violan said.
Violan, and other traffic enforcers also proposed a formation of a joint composite team or a task force that would see to the day-to-day operations on traffic enforcement.
“We need to have one because every agency has their different concerns. With a task force, there would be a body that would monitor and coordinate all agencies to enforce the traffic rules,” he said.
Supt. Pimentel supported the proposal to ensure sustainability of the city’s traffic enforcement, and also for better coordination, as traffic officers are mandated to apprehend violators, but the matter of checking on engines is tasked with the LTO.
He also proposed putting up traffic signs all over the city for motorists to observe traffic rules.
(davaotoday.com)
