Traffic crisis management bill in House plenary

THE HOUSE of Representatives as of this reporting Tuesday afternoon began plenary debates on the long-standing traffic crisis management bill.

House Bill No. 6425, or the proposed Traffic Crisis Act — which covers traffic management in Metro Manila, Metropolitan Cebu, and Metropolitan Davao — was presented by the House committees on appropriations and on transportation, headed respectively by Representatives Karlo Alexei B. Nograles and Cesar V. Sarmiento.

Implementation of the measure, if enacted into law, will be led by the transportation secretary as Traffic Chief, who shall supervise all local government units (LGUs) within the metropolitan areas, among other comprehensive powers and functions defined by the bill.

The Traffic Chief, in coordination with the covered agencies, shall also develop a Traffic Management Plan for each of the defined metropolitan areas and a comprehensive traffic rules and regulations handbook identifying such offenses as reckless driving, counter-flow, and lack of inadequate parking spaces and driveways and their corresponding penalties.

The Traffic Chief, in coordination with the component LGUs, shall also identify private subdivisions or village roads which shall be designation as friendship routes that will serve as additional access points and secondary channels for road traffic.

The bill also has provisions on route rationalization for public utility vehicles (PUVs), revocation and modification of PUV franchises and permits, roadworthiness of PUVs and financial assistance to PUV modernization.

“Effective January 1, 2018, licensed professional drivers operating PUVs in the metropolitan areas must undergo testing and examination prior to the issuance of new professional driver’s licenses,” the bill also reads in part.

Effectivity of this measure is three years from its enactment into law, whose implementation will also be monitored by the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee.