All traffic violators must be apprehended

Land Transportation Office-7 Director Victor Emmanuel Caindec vowed that this week the LTO, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, and the Highway Patrol Group of the Philippine National Police will start apprehending Angkas and habal-habal drivers in joint operations this week. This is something that we ought to clearly say, that the State has given a privilege to all of us to secure a driver’s license to drive, and let me point out that a driver’s license is not a God-given right for human beings to acquire!

Apparently Angkas was issued a temporary restraining order by the Supreme Court which is why the LTO, LTFRB, the Highway Patrol Group will be apprehending these violators of the law if they are found taking on passengers. The trouble with habal-habal drivers is that a lot of them ride their motorcycles and operate them sans any driver’s license. Worst of all, these illegally-operated motorcycles have drivers who do not follow road rules and when they hit other vehicles, they cannot pay for the damage. Hence, they should be removed from our roads!

In a board resolution last week, the LTFRB directed its law enforcement units and other authorized traffic enforcement agencies to apprehend and impound the motorcycles of Angkas. The resolution came after the Supreme Court issued a TRO on the writ of preliminary in-junction issued by a Mandaluyong court in August that allowed Angkas to ferry passengers again. The LTFRB on Friday called on Angkas to respect the decision of the Supreme Court, which stopped anew the operations of the motorcycle ride-sharing app. Again, let me point our very clearly that we are still a nation where the rule of law is paramount and there should be no one above the law!

Apparently, motorcycle riders' groups like the Motorcycle Rights Organization oppose the proposal being peddled in the Senate, saying it treats motorcycle riders like criminals. I checked out this story and found out that Senator Richard Gordon, author of the bill on motorcycles, who has been trying to get similar legislation passed since the 14th Congress, is quoted in the same press release as saying: “Motorcycles have become crime machines.”

Allow me to correct Senator Gordon that it is wrong for him to say motorcycles have become crime machines. Lest he has already forgotten, it is people who kill other people. They mostly use guns in the commission of a crime and many of them also use a motorcycle as their getaway vehicle. But I would like to reiterate that it is people using guns and riding motorcycles that kill people, hence it is totally wrong to insist that motorcycles have become crime machines!

According to a Senate press release on the bill, if passed, will require the installation of "bigger and reflectorized plate numbers which must be placed in both front and rear parts of the motorcycle. The plate numbers should be big enough to be readable from a distance of between 12 to 15 meters." Frankly speaking, putting big license plate numbers on motorcycles won’t stop criminals from using these vehicles as their getaway vehicle after committing their crime. Certainly, it is easy enough to get a fictitious plate number on a motorcycle to thwart the police in their investigation.

With traffic getting as bad as it has ever been, I can understand the need for a transport group that calls itself Angkas. Mind you, this used to be common in Bangkok when its roads were limited and getting fast to your meeting means riding on a motorcycle taxi. But have you been to Bangkok lately? They no longer use motorcycles because they have created new roads and overhead streets to solve their huge traffic problem.

Thus, what Cebu City needs is a huge plan to solve our traffic problem. If the plan calls for a massive second-floor roadway like what they have from Alabang to Makati, then we must construct this road. Sure we will hear from those groups who doesn’t want Cebu to become like Manila or Hong Kong, may I suggest that those people start packing up and move out of Cebu City. I dare say that it’s about time for us to fix our humongous traffic problems and make Cebu a pleasant place to live in once more!

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