EDITORIAL - How to breed impunity

The Land Transportation Office has ordered the owner and driver of a sport utility vehicle to explain why they should not be penalized for illegally entering the EDSA busway 307 times since 2022.

While it’s good to know that the LTO has taken cognizance of the issue, people are also wondering why it took three years and 307 violations before the agency went after the owner and driver of the Mitsubishi Montero Sport.

Were traffic citations ever issued? Repeat offenses would have led to the suspension and then cancellation of the driver’s license of the offender and separate penalties if the owner is not the driver.

Even if the no-contact apprehension policy was suspended by the Supreme Court in 2022, EDSA particularly the busway teems with traffic enforcers going after violators. The traffic enforcers are from the police, local government units and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority. Surely they don’t need surveillance cameras to see a sport utility vehicle using a lane that is supposed to be exclusive to buses.

Was the SUV transporting a VIP and was simply waived through 307 times? When the owner and driver respond to the LTO order, they must be identified to the public, especially if they are government officials or celebrities. Such people must set an example to the people in complying with laws and rules.

Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon should also find out why it took 307 violations before the LTO decided to go after the SUV owner and driver. Are the offenders known to those tasked to enforce the rules on the busway? Was the SUV ever pulled over for entering the exclusive bus lane?

If the illegal use of the busway is due to plain cluelessness, ignorance of the law is no excuse. Failure to enforce the rules breeds impunity. If the SUV managed to use the busway 307 times, it was because its driver could.