LTO raises concern on proposal to put emergency stickers on PUV windshields

Land Transportation Office legal officer Vicente Gador Jr. has raised concern over the proposed amendatory ordinance requiring the putting up of signages inside public utility vehicles, saying that it may affect the visibility of the driver.

Councilor Procopio Fernandez is amending Section 4 (c) of City Ordinance No. 1975 by requiring operators of PUVs to install an emergency assistance device to deter incidents of robbery onboard.

Under the proposal, the sticker shall bear the inscription: "WARNING - Emergency Assistance Device shall be switched-on only during the occurrence of robbery/holdup incident inside this vehicle."

The amendatory ordinance stated that "there shall be posted inside a conspicuous place of every PUJ (public utility jeepney) preferably at the back center portion of the driver's seat and in case of buses, V-Hire and taxicabs, at the middle topmost portion of the windshield facing the driver, a signage preferably a sticker to be provided by the PUV's operator or owner."

But Gador said that posting an additional sticker on the windshield would block the sight of the driver.

He noted that the registration, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, plate number and accessibility stickers are posted on the windshield of the PUV aside from the driver's identification card hanged on the windshield.

The framers of the Seat Belt Use Act of 1999 did not even mention the windshield as the best location to post the signage, which would serve to instruct front seat passengers to wear seat belts when inside the vehicle, Gador said.

"The Land Transportation Office has nothing against the proposed ordinance. The windshield is a major part of the motor vehicle and it serves to guard the eye of the driver from any particles so as not to affect the driver's visibility," he added.

If the council will push through with the ordinance, Gador said the sticker should be placed on other conspicuous place instead of the windshield.

Under the existing regulations, according to Gador, it is prohibited to have anything that affects the visibility of the driver such as tint, curtains and jalousies.

Gador's comments, however, is now being studied by the council before it would approve the amendatory ordinance.

The old existing city ordinance is requiring jeepneys to install blue lights as an early warning device in case of robbery. When a crime is in progress, a driver could discreetly switch on the flashing lights to alert law enforcers.

Councilor Sylvan "Jack" Jakosalem said the system was effective when it was first passed into law, but it fell into disuse as drivers and police seemed to have forgotten about it. -Garry B. Lao/LPM