LINGAYEN, Pangasinan October 19 – Three agencies of the national government recently have expressed commitment to work hand-in-hand to address traffic congestion in various parts of Pangasinan.
This came up after regional and provincial top officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Land Transportation Office (LTO) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) appeared during the SP question hour which inquired on the policies of the DPWH on the implementation of infrastructure projects and on the traffic rules and regulations implemented by the LTO.
The SP inquiry called on by Board Members Raul Sison and Noel Bince was also intended for the three agencies to shed light and help address the heavy traffic problem in Calasiao, Binmaley, Dagupan City and other parts of Pangasinan and for the SP to help in aid of provincial legislation resolve the traffic problems.
Officer-in-Charge Provincial Director Ronald Oliver Lee told SP members that the PNP, being in-charge to help address traffic problems in the province requested Local Government Units (LGUs) and the LTO to back up the PNP with legal basis for law enforcement.
“We need an ordinance on traffic regulations for us to reinforce, or the LTO could deputize our policemen to seize people who violate traffic rules,” said PNP Provincial Director Lee as he explained that policemen do not have the power to sanction traffic violators.
Lee reiterated that in the absence of a local legislation which pertains to traffic regulations, the LTO could deputize the police to assist them in implementing traffic rules and regulations.
LTO Lingayen District Office Chief Eric Soriven, however, said that in deputizing highway patrol policemen to arrest traffic violators they also are accountable for the temporary operator’s permit (ticket) which is issued by the LTO to sanction traffic violators.
Only highway patrol policemen could be deputized to arrest traffic offenders.
PNP PD Lee added that to help ease traffic problems, he had already instructed his men to advise tricycle drivers and operators, as well as vendors to stay in their designated areas and to keep out of major thoroughfares to avoid traffic congestion.
Meanwhile, DPWH executives, Regional Director Nerie Bueno, Engr.Smile Fermin (1st district engineering office), Engr. Rodolfo Dion (2nd district engineering office), Engr. Emmanuel Diaz (3rd district engineering office) and Engr. Marieta Mendoza (4th district engineering office) have also vowed to see to it that roads and bridges projects of the agency implemented by contractors will be properly supervised and monitored in view of existing protocols.
By Dexter A. See
