Talisay's traffic body crafts traffic manual

CEBU, Philippines - The Talisay City’s traffic management group is now writing down a traffic manual, which would help traffic enforcers implement traffic laws.

“This manual will become an omnibus law of all traffic laws. The importance of which is that this will serve as a guide for our traffic enforcers in their daily duty,” Vice Mayor Alan Bucao said.

Bucao said that presently, traffic personnel are in “constant fear of facing legal impediments” while on duty, especially that there will always be motorists or even pedestrians who will not have qualms taking their complaints to court.

So the City of Talisay-Traffic Operations and Development (CT-TODA) is seeing to it that its enforcers will be informed of all traffic laws, said Bucao, who is apparently chairman of the CT-TODA.

In this new manual, which was crafted during a two-day seminar attended by city officials and traffic czars last weekend, will incorporate all traffic violations and laws, Bucao said.

The vice mayor said they have patterned the manual after Cebu City’s Cebu City Traffic Office Management (CITOM), and once approved by the city council, will become the CT-TODA’s “bible.”

“Kung nana ta aning manual, di na magpanagana og dakop atong mga traffic enforcers. Malikayan na pud nila nga maka-encounter og legal impediments,” he said.

Presently, the CT-TODA has 72 traffic enforcers, some of whom are members of the traffic engineering.

Bucao said they are also working on “institutionalizing” the traffic group by training them.

Most of the CT-TODA members are on a contractual basis, or those who work for 15 days or 30 days the most, which means that by the time they have learned the traffic laws, they are already out of work.

“I’m trying my best that before my term ends, we’ll regularize traffic enforcers that are deemed fit for the job. Di na ta magsige og ilis-ilis kay alkanse pud ang syudad kung magsige na lang og train nila ‘nya di ra magamit,” Bucao said. (FREEMAN)