CCTO to start confiscating license

CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) is warning the public that it will start confiscating driver’s license of erring motorists within the month.

CCTO Operations Chief Francisco Ouano said his office is still finalizing all needed guidelines and orders before it will commence with the implementation of the new policy.

“We will be drafting the executive order para ipakita namo ni Mayor (Tomas Osmeña) inig balik niya sunod semana para maka-start nami kay mao gyud iyang order nga as soon as possible, makasugod nami sa pag-implement,” he told The FREEMAN.

Last year, the City Council passed an ordinance allowing the city’s traffic enforcers to confiscate the driver’s license of motorists found violating traffic laws in the city.

Osmeña already signed the ordinance last year.

Ouano said the public must know about the approved measure of the city government, adding there has been months of leeway before it will implement the new policy.

Under the new policy, he said CCTO enforcers are allowed to issue an Ordinance Violation Receipt (OVR) or Citation Ticket to those people found violating any provision of Republic Act 4163 also known as the Land Transportation and Traffic Code of the Philippines, or any regulations issued pursuant thereto, or any traffic ordinance of the City of Cebu.

Once a motorist is caught violating traffic rules, the traffic enforcer will ask for his driver’s license and the certificate of registration of the motor vehicle.

Ouano said the CCTO proposed that the Adjudication Board will be 24/7 so that motorists that want to get back their licenses will have an avenue to do so any time of the day upon payment of the violation.

Among the traffic rules are no stopping, no u-turn, no parking, disregard of traffic signs, among others.

Once the motorist will be caught committing these violations, Ouano said they will be issued with citation tickets.

They will get back their license upon payment of P1,000 of their violation.

“Amo gyud ning gipaninguhaan nga makuha rapod nila ilang license kon mobayad na sila sa ilang violation. Kon dili lang ma-clamp ilang sakyanan nga illegal parking, dili ra namo sila pabayaron sa pending violations nila usa i-release ang ilang lisensya,” Ouano added.

He said the Adjudication Board, which will be created through an executive order of the mayor, will hear and decide any complaint from the motorists after apprehension.

Ouano said the measure would instill discipline and to improve the traffic flow, adding that violators of traffic rules are among the reasons of the congestion.

“Samtang sayo pa, pahimangnoan lang nato daan ang mga motorist nga dili nalang gyud magpabadlong para dili makuhaan og lisensya. Na-publish naman ni, nag-public hearing na sa konseho, humana ang process, mag-implement nami karong buwana,” he added.

Further, Ouano said the officials of CCTO will just choose 100 of the 300 enforcers that will enforce the new ordinance to avoid abuse of authority.

He said these 100 enforcers will undergo a refresher course to ensure that they know what they are doing and they will know how to deal with irate motorists. – GAN, (FREEMAN)