LTO monitoring reckless drivers

MANILA, Philippines — The Land Transportation Office has mobilized more than 1,700 traffic enforcers across the country for Holy Week to monitor major roads and take action against reckless driving, including road racing.

According to LTO chief Vigor Mendoza II, the deployment, in coordination with the Philippine National Police (PNP) and other law enforcement agencies, aims to enhance road safety during the peak travel season.

“All our enforcers are deployed in major thoroughfares to at least serve as a deterrent against reckless driving. This is part of the instruction of our DOTr (Department of Transportation) Secretary Vince Dizon since the presence alone of uniformed LTO personnel will compel errant drivers to behave,” Mendoza said during the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum yesterday.

The LTO has also given special instructions to its personnel to monitor and document incidents of reckless driving throughout the Holy Week, extending their operations until travelers return after the long weekend.

Mendoza noted recent measures by the agency, including legal action against drivers involved in high-profile cases, such as a bus crash on the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) and another incident involving a viral video of a speeding passenger bus.

He also indicated his plan to propose increased penalties and push for a dedicated “special law” that would criminalize road rage-related incidents, citing the growing number of reported cases.

“If road rage can be criminalized under a special law then criminal intent will no longer be a defense,” the LTO chief said.

Further, he encouraged netizens to report dangerous drivers, giving assuring that a dedicated social media monitoring team would handle all tips confidentially. The public can do so via LTO’s “AksyON THE SPOT” hotline at 0929-292-0865.

Zipper lanes

To ease traffic congestion in the North Luzon Expressway following the surge of motorists traveling north, NLEX Corp. opened zipper lanes from Balintawak to Marilao and from San Fernando to Dau yesterday at 2 p.m., which will remain until conditions normalize today.

Zipper lanes for southbound motorists will open on April 19 at 11 a.m. from Dau to San Fernando; Balagtas to Bocaue Barrier; and old Candaba Viaduct southbound leftmost or lane 1.

Likewise, zipper lanes on the southbound lane will be established on April 20 at noon until traffic eases up on April 21 on the following areas: Dau to San Fernando; old Candaba Viaduct southbound leftmost lane or lane 1; Balagtas to Bocaue Barrier and Bocaue to Balintawak.

Pre-Holy Week, daily volume of motorists at NLEX stands at 350,000; Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway, 79,000 and NLEX Connector, 19,000. These are expected to go up by 10 percent between Holy Wednesday and Maundy Thursday.

Travel clearance

Meanwhile, the Bureau of Immigration reminded all passengers travelling with minors who are not their own kids to secure all required travel clearance with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in advance to avoid delays at the airport.

BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said immigration counters are fully manned and additional frontline officers have been deployed to major international airports to manage the surge in passenger traffic.

This is in line with President Marcos’ directive to improve public service delivery and streamline government processes.

“We’ve strengthened our deployment to ensure efficient service for the traveling public this Holy Week. However, travelers must still do their part by arriving early and securing all necessary travel documents ahead of time,” he said.

Foreign nationals staying in the Philippines for more than six months are reminded to obtain their Emigration Clearance Certificates from BI offices prior to departure. Registered foreigners holding ACR I-Cards may also secure their re-entry permits at any BI office or at the BI One-Stop-Shop in NAIA.

Filipino government employees traveling abroad even for personal reasons must present a travel authority from their department heads, while unaccompanied minors are required to have a travel clearance from DSWD.

Viado noted that processing these documents ahead of time “significantly reduces queuing time” at the airport and helps ease overall congestion.

He added that the bureau’s e-gates are also helping shorten processing time from 45 seconds to as little as eight seconds, further streamlining arrival procedures.

Travelers are reminded to check in at least three hours before their scheduled flight and proceed promptly to immigration processing to avoid delays.

Viado said he will personally monitor airport operations during the peak season to ensure efficient service for all passengers.

Travel scams

The PNP-Anti-Cybercrime Group warned the public against the rising number of online travel scams this holiday season.

According to PNP-ACG director Brig. Gen. Bernard Yang, recognizing online travel scams would help people develop the safety skills needed to identify fraudulent content on social media platforms.

“Educating Filipinos about travel scams is a practical step towards building online safety awareness and the ability to detect manipulation,” he said in a statement yesterday.

The ACG have collaborated with Scam Watch Pilipinas in advising the public to be wary of travel-related scams.

Jocel de Guzman, Scam Watch Pilipinas co-founder, said there are about 14 summer travel scams.

Among these are fake accommodations advertised at impossibly low rates, fake WiFi hotspots designed to steal personal data and too-good-to-be-true deals on flights and hotels that vanish after payment.

Travelers should also be wary of free vacation traps with hidden costs, fake travel agents who disappear with payments and overpriced exclusive tours.

Charity cons, counterfeit cash, hidden closed-circuit television cameras pose additional risks, while fake taxis charge exorbitant fees.

Other scams include the false sale of lost luggage on Facebook, fake subscriber identity module cards, cheap airline tickets offered on social media and fixers promising convenience at transport hubs.

Yang urged the public to report travel scams to the national anti-scam hotline 1326 or through their hotline numbers (02) 8723-0401 (loc 7491), 0968-8674302, 0967-1360322 and 0992-9893889. – Ramon Lazaro, Rudy Santos, Emmanuel Tupas