EDITORIAL - Are Citom contractors exempted from traffic rules?

Is the Citom, or any of its personnel, or any of its contractors, exempted from obeying traffic rules? The question is asked because the editor-in-chief of this paper was an actual witness to a blatant display of arrogant violation of a traffic rule by a Citom contractor.

Yesterday, Tuesday, January 5, at about five minutes to four, the editor stopped for a red light at the corner of Juana Osmeña and Gen. Maxilom Avenue. He was right behind an RW tow truck that was towing an old gray Volkswagen Beetle.

When the light turned green, the RW tow truck had two options: Go straight through the Raintree Mall access road to Ramos, or turn right to Gen. Maxilom Avenue. Turning left into Gen. Maxilom Avenue was not an option because turning left was not allowed. A huge sign says so.

But the RW tow truck, in complete disregard of the NO LEFT TURN sign, and before the astonished eyes of the public, and with no concern for the fact that traffic on Gen. Maxilom Avenue in the direction away from Fuente Osmeña was stalled, actually turned left.

Because it was towing another vehicle, and because traffic was stalled, the offending RW tow truck further obstructed traffic because it now blocked the intersection. But that is not the point because the traffic will ultimately untangle itself.

What will not be untangled from the minds of those who saw the incident is the sheer arrogance of those in the tow truck, who obviously must have felt that they are above the very laws they strictly enforce on others.

Mayor Tomas Osmeña has been known to stand beside his contractors. But we believe this is only because he thinks they are right. But what if they are wrong? And what if they commit the wrong in full view of the public.

There was no way to get the plate number of the tow truck because the towed Volkswagen blocked the view. Neither was the truck number, if any, visible. Besides, the light had turned green and the witness had to make his right turn.

But records of the towing of the old gray Volkswagen Beetle should be able to identify the culprits. And if Mayor Osmeña truly means what he says, he should be able to institute some discipline within the ranks.