BY GEROME DALIPE IV
ILOILO City – The Land Transportation Office (LTO) in Western Visayas and the Highway Patrol Group (HPG) are continuing their crackdown on illegally parked vehicles, particularly trailers and trucks along the coastal road and Loboc port in Barangay Lapuz.
Such initiative stemmed from the request of Mayor Jerry Treñas to decongest traffic and ensure road safety by enforcing parking regulations more strictly.
Lawyer Gaudioso P. Geduspan II, LTO Region 6 OIC-director, said the crackdown involves ticketing and towing vehicles that are found parked illegally on the national highway.
The LTO-6’s Regional Law Enforcement Service conducted a series of operations in support of the efforts of the Iloilo City Traffic Management Unit and the traffic programs of the mayor.
Law enforcers noticed several vehicles parked or abandoned on the national highway, posing road hazards and dangers to the motorists.
“These obstructions not only impeded traffic flow but also presented serious safety risks to motorists and pedestrians alike,” the LTO-6 said.
The abandoned vehicles were placed under alarm, and an in-depth investigation is being conducted to determine the extent of the violations and impose appropriate penalties.
The LTO-6’s enforcement team apprehended at least 16 drivers of trucks and trailers and issued citation tickets to them for obstruction and illegal parking.
Geduspan stressed that ongoing enforcement is a measure to address current violations and a proactive approach to deter future non-compliance.
“We are committed to maintaining order and safety on our roads. This should serve as a stern warning to all vehicle owners and drivers that we will not tolerate any form of traffic law violations,” said Geduspan.
The LTO-6 urged motorists to comply with all traffic regulations and to park only in designated areas to avoid penalties and ensure the safety of all road users.
On the other hand, the HPG-6 said they issued temporary operator’s permits to drivers of vehicles caught obstructing national roads, illegal parking, and disobedience to law enforcement.
Mayor Treñas expressed his gratitude to the LTO-6 and HPG-6 for their swift action on the rampant illegally parked trucks and trailers on the national road.
The mayor said that one of his first directives to Police Col. Kim Legada, the newly installed chief of the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO), is to continue conducting operations against illegally parked vehicles on all national highways and roads.
He said he also tasked Legada to continue with all drug operations, and street crimes, solve all robberies, and ensure all police patrol cars and motorcycles patrolled the streets and not in the stations. He also asked Legada to continue operations against modified mufflers, and illegal gambling of all forms./PN
