CITOM exceeds previous years’ collections

CEBU, Philippines - For the first time in history, the overall collections of the Cebu City Traffic Operations Management (CITOM) last January reached over P7 million, which is about P3 million more compared to the same period last year.

One of the contributing factors which led to the increase of CITOM’s collections is the intensified campaign of traffic enforcers against the erring drivers.

Although the report of CITOM executive officer Rafael Christopher Yap to the Cebu City Council did not show how many erring drivers were apprehended by his men last year, the administrative fines collected from the erring drivers last January increased to P2,539,225 compared to only P425,255 for the same period in 2012.

 The pay parking fees for those vehicles parked in designated parking areas of the city have been increased from P15 to P20 per hour.From P3.2 million in January last year, the collection of parking fees only went up to P3.9 million.

CITOM’s other collections came from smoke belching fees, road parking permits for delivery trucks, permits for motorcycles-for-hire, clamping and towing fees and several others.

 One of the new strategies implemented by CITOM which led to the increase of their collections is the sending of summons to drivers apprehended for any traffic-related offenses.

 Although the licenses of the drivers who were issued only with Traffic Citation Tickets (TCT) were not confiscated, CITOM enforcers personally serve the summons to the drivers that they have apprehended.

The scheme was found to be so effective because those apprehended erring drivers were compelled to settle their obligations to the Traffic Violations Bureau (TVB) by paying their fines, rather than just ignore the TCTs.

 In the previous years, the issuance of TCT by traffic enforcers was not an effective tool to discipline abusive drivers because they were not afraid since their licenses are not confiscated.

 Meanwhile, CITOM have painted yellow solid lines in the middle of the roads along Tres de Abril, Sikatuna, Echavez and several other roads to remind drivers that overtaking in that road is strictly prohibited to avoid traffic congestion.

 Motorists that will be caught driving beyond the solid yellow lines running against traffic shall be apprehended and cited with reckless driving which is punishable with a fine of P1,278 for every violation.(FREEMAN)