CITY OF SAN FERNANDO — The renewed and intensified traffic campaign in this city has netted a total of 4,399 violators and added P1.2 million in fines for the city coffers.
The violators, mostly drivers and owners of tricycles, motorcycles, jeepneys, trucks and private cars were apprehended for violating city ordinances and national laws on traffic.
Senior Supt. Danilo Bautista, head of Public Order Safety Coordinating Council (POSCO) said that the violators were led by tricycle drivers totaling 2,042 who committed different offenses like driving without license, no garbage receptacles and driving alone the national highway. They are followed by motorcycles with total of 1,463 mostly for not wearing protective helmets when traveling.
The other violators were 748 public utility jeepney drivers whose offenses committed include illegal loading and unloading, not wearing of prescribed uniform, obstruction, illegal parking, driving without license, reckless driving, overloading. This are followed by truck drivers totaling 117 for violation of truck ban, reckless driving and obstruction while private car drivers numbered only 29, with illegal parking and obstruction as the major violations.
On the other hand, a total of 593 persons were also apprehended and fined for violation of city ordinances on smoking, jaywalking, illegal vending.
Col Baustista, chief of Posco, said the apprehension of the violators covered the first quarter of the year but they will continue their operations to uphold discipline in high traffic areas.
During his presentation on Public Safety and Order Committee of the Multi-Sectoral Governance Council, Baustista said that city earned a total of P1.2 million for penalties which will augment the income of the city for its development projects.
“The violators were requested to pay their penalties direct to the city treasurer’s office”, Baustista said.
Baustista urges drivers of all kinds of vehicles to follow traffic rules and regulations when passing the city to avoid traffic and delays.
He also stresses that the no helmet, no travel policy is strictly enforced in the city to protect the drivers.
The City of San Fernando which is the capital and growth center of Central Luzon tripled its present 285,912 population based on the 2010 Census of the National Statistics Office during office hours. However, due to lack of space, drivers park everywhere and anywhere causing heavy traffic along the business district and other main throughfares.
”We had to launch the operation to decongest the city otherwise, we will have anarchy in the city roads,” Bautista added. (Romeo Dizon)