CCTO impounds 6T in 10 months

Over the last 10 months, around 6,000 vehicles, mostly motorcycles, were impounded by the Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) for violations of the counterflow policy.

While this developed, the CCTO will start the implementation of the ordinance that will authorize the City’s traffic enforcers to confiscate the license of erring motorists.

In an interview last Dec. 18, Mayor Tomas Osmeña said that despite the spot amnesty that he gave, the CCTO will continue to apprehend drivers who will counterflow.

“Counterflow cases have gone down. It’s been a painful lesson, but it’s working for the good of the city. We will continue with the counterflow (apprehensions) because what we are doing is spot amnesty only,” he told reporters.

Last Feb. 5, Osmeña released Executive Order (EO) 34, which penalizes motorists who counterflow or drive in the wrong lane against oncoming traffic.

The EO provides that all vehicles, including motorcycles, that are caught counterflowing will be impounded for 30 days.

Last Dec. 13, Osmeña granted a spot amnesty to motorcycles recently impounded for counterflowing without other pending traffic violations and/ or unpaid fines as a temporary solution to the banning of motorcycles-for-hire (habal-habal).

Fewer apprehensions

Of the estimated 2,000 motorcycles that were impounded as of Dec. 13, only around 300 owners availed themselves of the spot amnesty and claimed their units.

CCTO operations chief Francisco Ouano said that during the first few months of the implementation of EO 34, they were able to impound around 60 vehicles per day.

Ouano said he expects fewer vehicles to be impounded next year as drivers have already learned their lesson.

Meanwhile, Ouano said they will start implementing the ordinance that will allow them to confiscate licenses once the adjudication board is formed.

“We know that many will criticize the ordinance. We’re not the only one implementing this kind of ordinance,” he said.

For his part, Osmeña said he wants the ordinance to be implemented already.

It was Councilor Eugenio Gabuya Jr. who sponsored the ordinance, which was filed in 2016 yet. It seeks to promote road discipline among drivers.

Even in the City Council, members of the opposition were against the ordinance, saying the mandate of confiscating driver’s licenses belongs to the Land Transportation Office.

Under the approved legislation, enforcers under the CCTO and other deputized agents of the City Government will be granted authority to confiscate the license of drivers found violating Republic Act 4136, or the Land Transportation and Traffic Code.