ILOILO City – The city government launched yesterday a new scheme aimed at disciplining drivers and pedestrians – the Traffic Discipline Zone.
The pilot area is the busy 14-kilometer Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr. Avenue in Mandurriao district.
For three days beginning today, the Public Safety and Transportation Management Office (PSTMO) will be conducting a massive information drive on what the Traffic Discipline Zone is all about – the strict enforcement of all traffic rules and regulations, both local and national.
“The apprehension of undisciplined drivers and pedestrians will start after the three-day information drive, or on Monday, Jan. 20,” said Mayor Jerry Treñas yesterday.
PSTMO will be augmented by personnel from the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO).
“We want to show that here in Iloilo City we follow traffic rules and regulations. Pagsulod mo gid sa boundary sang syudad dapat masunod mo na ang traffic rules and regulations,” said Treñas.
He lamented that as the city progressed, the traffic situation was becoming unmanageable primarily because drivers and pedestrians were disobeying traffic laws.
PSTMO chief Jeck Conlu expressed hope that the Traffic Discipline Zone would eventually make the impression to outsiders that “basta Ilonggo, disiplinado.”
The PSTMO, he said, has five speed guns to catch overspeeding vehicles, another one from the LTO, and five breath analyzers to detect if drivers have too much alcohol intake.
Traffic enforcers will initially operate from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., said Conlu.
After the Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr. Avenue, next to be made a “traffic discipline zone” is McArthur Drive from Barangay Tabuc Suba, Jaro district to Barangay Balantang.
“I want this scheme initially tried on the Diversion Road para mapakita nga pwede maobra ini,” said Treñas.
Like the Diversion Road, McArthur Drive is also “problemado pirmi sa traffic because of lack of discipline,” he explained.
What are the traffic rules and regulations to be fully imposed?
Conlu said these included the speed limit ordinance, the ordinance against modified mufflers, points where to load and unload passengers, the law on the use of helmets and other body protective gears by motorcycle riders and the maximum number of back riders allowed, the law on the use of seatbelts, the law on the non-use of cellphones while driving and clearing of windshields from gadgets that directly distract the driver’s line of sight, among others./PN
This is awesome news. I congratulate the powers to be for having the intestinal fortitude for having good governance. Now, get the vehicles off the sidewalks and stop the parking along major thoroughfares and see how fast and how manageable the traffic flow becomes. Aslo, eliminate all pedicycles on major thoroughfares. Keep them in residential areas.
This is good news! Hopefully the Discipline Zone will encompass the whole city. The city government can even implement immediately without a trial period since it should be implicit that drivers should know already the rules before they are given license to drive. Traffic laws have been in existence for many years so there should be no excuse for not knowing them.
I agree! No trial period required but at least we are starting to see positive action from elected leaders. It is a start.
SIR TRENAS FIRSTLY GET THE JEEP DRIVER HOW TO DRIVE IN ONE LANE ONLY NO SIGNAL OR STOP LIGHT .JUST CHANGE LANES .SECOND WE ARE IN LEFT HAND DRIVE CAR COUNTRY PLS AWARE THE SLOW MOVING VEHICLES KEEP IN RIGHT LANE NEVER GIVE WAY FOR OTHER TO PASS PLS GIVE TRAINING
Jeepneys must have loading and unloading zones and must be in single line during pick up and unloading, pedestrians must follow the pedestrian lane during crossing the street ang enforce traffic laws for a better Iloilo
Natural ma congest ang sa left side kay my traffic lights sa tubang.. kag sa pihak hawan kay nka stop man sa pihak nga side mga salakyan.. pinalagpat haw? Patalang pa more