LTO-7 imposing contested fines

CEBU, Philippines - The Land Transportation Office-7 will not stop imposing the huge fines against erring drivers despite the threat by a nationwide drivers and operators group to stage a transport strike tomorrow.

“As far as my office is concern wala man ta mohunong pagpanakop sa mga (we did not stop going after) erring drivers ug wala usab kita mo-arrange og pag-undang sa pagpatuman sa (and there is no arrangement that we stop enforcing) Joint Administrative Order 2014-01,” Director Arnel Tancinco  told The FREEMAN.

 He was reacting to the announcement of Greg Perez, head of Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide (PISTON)-Cebu, that their group will stage a transport strike tomorrow to protest LTO’s continued imposition of the big traffic fines stipulated under JAO 2014-01.

Transport groups deemed as “unjust and excessive” the said JAO, which the Department of Transportation and Communications, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, and the LTO approved for the imposition of a new set of fines.

For example, driving without a license or conductor’s permit, driving under the influence of alcohol, colorum units, and other violations are now fined P1,000 to P1 million, depending on the kind of penalty and the degree of the violation.

In particular, a P5,000 fine is imposed against drivers of vehicles caught with defective lighting equipment, particularly the headlights and tail lights.

Acting Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella had already instructed the head of City Hall’s transport services section to prepare its Kaohsiung and Yokohama buses so these could be immediately used once the transport strike would start affecting the riding public.

Tancinco said they cannot stop apprehending erring drivers just because drivers who are against the new set of fines have threatened to hold a strike and cripple public transportation.

“Kon ako ang pasultion dili ko moingon nga migamit ta sa mao nga balaod aron daug-daugon ang mga drayber ug operator. Pila ra man ang kantidad anang suga? Barato ra kaayo ang bombilya kon ilang paliton (If you ask me, it cannot be said that we are using the order to go step on the drivers and the operators.  What is the cause of a single bulb? It is very cheap if they just take time to buy it),” Tancinco said.

It has been observed that several drivers of passenger jeepneys fail to attend to the defective lights of their vehicles; worst some of them intentionally do not switch on their headlights while running in roads at night.

Tancinco said those drivers who intentionally do not switch on their headlights and tail lights can be apprehended for reckless driving because they are risking the lives of passengers and are inviting accidents.

He also said PISTON officials did not participate in past dialogues with transport group leaders after the implementation of the controversial order last June 19, opting to just air their sentiments with the media.

A driver whom the The FREEMAN about colleagues not turning on their headlights and tail lights reasoned that doing so allegedly makes the unit harder to drive and passengers complain that because of the glare they could not see the PUJ signboard.

But for senior citizen Florenda Abelgas, the campaign against motorists who do not switch on their headlights while driving at night is a welcome development.

“Kausa dong hapit g’yud ko madam-agi kay milabang ko nga may nagpaingon diay nga PUJ kay wala man dayon ko makakita. Maayo na sila pangdakpon uy (One time I was almost bumped by a PUJ because its headlights were not on so I did not immediately see it.  It is best to apprehend them all),” she said. — /RHM  (FREEMAN)