Ignorance is not bliss
At the many times I have had the privileged to take advantage of our, at times, overly abundant taxi cabs, I have learned that many of these professionally licensed motor vehicle pilots are unaware of a multitude of road rules and regulations. Imagine my surprise (well, not really!) when a fair number of them did not know what driving counterflow meant, and that such action was illegal (Republic Act 4136, Chapter IV, Article II, Section 41, Sub-Section E).
For the benefit of the many licensed motor vehicle operators who were not properly educated by our beloved Land Transportation Office, I am going to be enumerating a few laws critical to the welfare of all motorists for the next few articles. I may have cited some of these laws before but, since many motor vehicle operators seem to easily forget these laws, I see the need to point these out again.
One such easily forgotten law is stated in Section IX, Sub-Section C of LTO Administrative Order (AO) 2008-15. This law states that, “A driver/rider shall observe the rule and on one lane per one vehicle only. Lane splitting is prohibited along a road or a highway. Motorcycles or scooters shall not be operated on sidewalks.” For the benefit of the many brain-dead drivers, this basically means, only one vehicle per slot, per lane. Even if there is enough space to squeeze in your vehicle, you are not allowed to do so by this law. And for the hardly-thinking, ‘team’-working traffic enforcers of Kapitloyo City, you cannot enforce a Right Lane Must Turn Right rule when you only have a two lane road heading towards an intersection, with one lane dedicated to turning left. With only two lanes, and both lanes being mandated to turn each way, where will the vehicles, who intend to go straight, go? Allowing vehicles to squeeze in and make a virtual third lane by utilizing part of the outer lane and part of the shoulder is in direct violation of this administrative order. And you dare ask why I believe you people are hardly-thinking? Please take time to think harder. Thank you.
To those familiar with this AO, one may argue that this was written for the dimwits who ride scooters and mopeds. True, but lane-splitting hasn’t really been exclusive to this specific group of motorists. Four or more-wheeled vehicles are also piloted by drivers as equally dim-witted. Have you seen those drivers who forcibly squeeze their motor vehicles onto the single lane roads that lead to and from the old bridge linking Diaper Island into the main island? They will shoulder-ride, kerb ride and even chance a collision just to squeeze in and get ahead. And have you seen the half-wit traffic enforcers on both sides of the bridge who see it, yet do nothing?
Anyway, the last line of the subsection clearly states that scooters and mopeds are prohibited from using the sidewalk as a thoroughfare. Yet many of these dimwits on two-wheels ignore this law and use the newly beautified, widened and improved sidewalks as their expressway to their destinations. They even have the gall to honk their horns or yell at pedestrians who block their path.
To Mr. New Traffic Czar, since you pointed out that your office is badly in need of funding, I would suggest you strictly enforce this law and start arresting these reckless offenders. The fines for such violations are a mite hefty, and they would do your office a great amount of good.
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