LGUs urged to ensure children’s safety on the road

LOCAL officials must ensure that national roads are cleared of any obstruction to protect children from accident when the face-to-face classes resumed.

This as Department Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año who urged local government units to sustain the implementation of the nationwide Road Clearing Operation (RCO) and campaign against tricycles on national highways.

“The Road Clearing Ops and ‘no trike on national highway’ campaign have to be sustained. Hindi puwedeng ningas-kugon. We urge our LGUs to continue and sustain their successes to protect our children from road accidents, lalo na ngayong papalapit na ang face-to-face classes,” Año said in a statement.

“As the influx of children travel on roadways going and back from their schools, children are exposed to road accidents. These policies on road safety can save lives and reduce road collision deaths and injuries.”

Of the 41,365 barangays covered by the RCO initiative, 93.53 percent or 38,690 barangays continue to respond to the call to clear streets of obstructions for the month of March 2022 with the latest data submitted on May 6, 2022.

The DILG noted that all regions were above the 80 percent adherence rate establishing the hard work performed in the barangays in ensuring that their streets are free from obstructions and are safe for children to travel.

Año said LGUs and the local police must ensure that national highways must be free of tricycles and pedicabs unless otherwise allowed by an ordinance in the absence of alternate routes.