Leeway eyed for motorists on traffic code amendment
The City Council committee on traffic management is proposing for more leeway for motorists in the move to amend
Committee members Raul Alcoseba, Richard Osmeña, Augustus Pe Jr. and Hilario Davide III proposed that the traffic code – especially the terms that deal with motorcycles and motor scooters – should be more considerate to women and the number of people that a driver is allowed to accommodate.
The committee said that “any person or passenger, particularly women, should be allowed, at her option, to ride upon a motorcycle or motor scooter either sitting astride the seat, facing forward, with one leg on each side of the motorcycle or motor scooter or sitting astride the seat, facing sideward, with the two legs on one side of the motorcycle or motor scooter.”
This recommendation, the committee said, is in accordance with the custom of women in the country to ride motorcycles facing sideward with the two legs on one side of the vehicles.
The committee also recommended that drivers “should be allowed to carry more than one passenger at a given time” provided that it is within the limits of the motorcycle or motor scooter’s passenger capacity.
The reason of this leeway, the committee said, is because motorcycles are designed to accommodate two passengers.
“It would be unfair, unreasonable and unjust to deprive owners of the beneficial use and enjoyment of their property to the allowable extent necessary. It would be tantamount to deprivation of property without due process of law,” the committee said.
Early on, with the recommendations from the council committee on laws, Osmeña had also proposed that motorists who will be caught with dubious behavior while driving should soon be obliged to undergo a liquor or drug test.
In his proposal, Osmeña had suggested that the test shall be administered at the direction of a law enforcement officer who has reasonable grounds to believe that the person has been driving a motor vehicle while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or drug. — Joeberth M. Ocao/LPM
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