By Emme Rose Santiagudo
The first month of the strict implementation of traffic laws and ordinances in the city’s first Discipline Zone” (TDZ) generated P683,900 in penalties, according to the Public Safety and Transportation Management Office (PSTMO).
PSTMO head Jeck Conlu said the amount was collected after 2,483 apprehensions at the 14-kilometer stretch of Senator Benigno Aquino Jr. Avenue or Diversion road in Mandurriao district.
Among the top violations committed by motorists and pedestrians are illegal parking, obstruction, disregarding traffic signs, jaywalking and counter flow, according to Conlu.
“TDZ lang ni siya and ang total amount of penalties were from the first month of our implementation from January 16 to February 16,2020,” he said on Thursday.
The city government officially designated Diversion road as the city’s first TDZ on Jan 16, 2020.
Apart from instilling discipline in Ilonggos, the TDZ was also in response to the evolving traffic congestion in several areas of the city.
Personnel from the Land Transportation Office (LTO) 6 and the Highway Patrol Group (HPG) of the Philippine National Police (PNP) were tasked to patrol the area while PSTMO personnel were stationed for monitoring.
According to Conlu, their goal is not to increase the number of apprehensions in the TDZ but reduce the violations committed by the public.
“Amo na kadako ang na-apprehend namon especially mga drivers pero ang goal namon indi magdamo ang dakpon or magtaas ang penalties but mareduce ang violations,” he stressed.
Conlu said the decrease in the number of violations committed by the drivers and the pedestrian would mean that the city’s first TDZ had been effective.
“Given mataas gidman kay ginaimplement ta mga regulations but two and three months ginatan –aw namon nga manubo kay naanad na sila. Once nagreduce na, it means namat-amat na disiplina ang mga tawo,” he said.
After the Diversion road, the city government is eyeing the McArthur Drive in Jaro district as the next TDZ.
