LTO intensifies road safety operations

KIDAPAWAN CITY — At least 484 motorcycle drivers were apprehended while 141 motorbikes were impounded in the past four days as personnel of the Land Transportation Office and local traffic enforcers intensified road safety operations here.

This comes as the local government here kicked off the full implementation of the “No Helmet, No Ride Policy” stated under the Republic Act 10054, or the Motorcycle Act of 2009.

City Traffic Management Enforcement Unit head Moises Sernal said they managed to flag down 1,285 motorcycles during the 16 to 19 January traffic enforcement operations together with personnel from the Philippine National Police Highway Patrol Group and the Land Transportation Office-Region 12.

“At least 484 were penalized because of traveling without wearing helmets including their back riders,” Sernal said.

Meantime, 141 motorcycles were also impounded due to violations that included expired registrations and driving without a license.

LTO-12 regional director Macario Gonzaga, who supervised the four-day operations, met with Mayor Jose Paolo Evangelista to discuss further collaboration for the enforcement of appropriate traffic laws in the city.

Evangelista reminded the LTO-12 team “to exercise fairness in conducting the apprehension of violators” and added that agency’s leadership wanted to make the city a model for the strict implementation of the “no helmet, no travel policy” in the region.

In December last year, the city government distributed some 500 standard helmets to motorcycle drivers here.

Evangelista said he ordered strict compliance with the “no helmet, no travel” policy following an increase in motorcycle accidents in the city recently that claimed several lives.