THE CITY Transport and Management Office (CTTMO) hoped the new speed limit law starting on Jan. 11 might help curb the number of road crashes as it slaps higher penalties on erring motorists.
In a statement, Dionisio Abude, CTTMO head, said the number of incidents proved the need for stricter implementation of traffic rules and subsequent penalties.
This developed after two separate road crash incidents in the city resulted in the death of two motorcycle drivers.
On Jan. 6, a 23-year-old woman died after she was hit by a trailer truck near Landmark, Carlos P. Garcia Highway in Sasa. About three hours later, a 47-year-old man was killed after a truck hit him in Fausta, Barangay Calinan Proper.
Abude said both incidents were caused by human error.
The incident in Landmark was the result of the motorcycle overtaking the trailer truck in a blind spot. The collision in Calinan was caused by both drivers ignoring traffic rules.
“Kung approaching ta og intersection, dapat mu-menor man gyud ka. Both drivers nagpaturatoy sila mao to nag-abot sila sa kanto sa crossing gyud (When approaching an intersection, we should always slow down. Both drivers were very reckless so they crashed at the intersection),” Abude said in a report from the City Information Office.
According to Abude, the reason for the Landmark incident was that the motorcycle was able to pass the trailer truck through a blind spot, causing the motorcycle rider to be run over.
He said that human error and disobedience to traffic laws were also factors in the Calinan road accident.“So kana tanang panghitabo is drivers’ error gyud, human error kung atong tanawon. Disregard gyud siya sa laing nag-gamit sa kalsada. Mao na nga dapat patas-an gyud ang mga penalty ug revocation o suspension sa mga driver,” Abude said.
