ILOILO City – Police vehicles responding to emergencies may temporarily use the pedestrian lane in front of the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) for U-turns, even as traffic authorities consider relocating the road marking to provide emergency access without compromising pedestrian safety.
Iloilo City Traffic and Transportation Management Office (TTMO) head retired Police Colonel Uldarico Garbanzos said the exemption would apply strictly to emergency responses and would not authorize police vehicles to use the pedestrian crossing for routine operations.
“As police officers, they must be able to respond immediately without delay,” Garbanzos said.
The temporary arrangement follows concerns raised after an ICPO Women and Children Protection Desk (WCPD) vehicle was spotted making a U-turn through the pedestrian lane outside the city police headquarters.
The incident prompted Land Transportation Office (LTO) Region 6 director Gaudioso Geduspan to call for a review of the existing traffic policy in the area.
Garbanzos said the TTMO would coordinate with ICPO and seek approval from concerned agencies to remove the existing pedestrian marking and possibly relocate it closer to the University of San Agustin.
The proposed adjustment aims to establish a dedicated access point for police vehicles during emergencies while preserving pedestrian safety and orderly traffic flow.
However, Garbanzos emphasized that the exemption would be evaluated on a case-to-case basis and remain subject to applicable conditions and approvals.
No final decision has been reached on the proposed relocation, pending formal authorization from the concerned agencies.
Garbanzos stressed that even if the pedestrian lane is eventually removed or transferred, the access point would remain exclusively for police vehicles responding to emergencies, not ordinary police movements./PN
