BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan expressed disappointment over the lack of discipline among motorists which contributes to the continuous increase in the number of vehicular traffic accidents along different roads around the city.
The local chief executive claimed that based on the regular report of the Baguio City Police Office (BCPO), there is a consistent decline in the occurrence of crimes in the city over the past several months but the bulk of the recorded crimes are vehicular traffic accidents which keeps the index crimes at a high level.
“We are gaining ground in our anti-criminality and peacekeeping initiatives primarily because of the cooperation of our residents and visitors to the stringent policies to curb the proliferation of crimes in our city. What we are saddened about is the continuous increase in vehicular traffic accidents in the city that is why our discipline is a major culprit in the unprecedented rise in vehicular accidents in the city,” Domogan stressed.
He rallied motorists to strictly observe the traffic rules and regulations being implemented by law enforcers and to practice defensive driving to prevent them from encountering vehicular traffic accidents.
According to him, law enforcers must continue intensifying their efforts in effecting the arrest of motorists who violate traffic rules and regulations to prevent erring motorists from plying the city’s streets and reduce the exposure of the public to accidents that could happen anytime due to undisciplined motorists.
Domogan asserted the lack of discipline of some motorists in the city only shows the poor values they have, thus, the need for them to undergo refresher courses ground then in understanding the importance of adhering to the rules and regulations being enforced to guarantee better traffic conditions along major roads in the city and ensure the safety not only of motorists but also of the pedestrians.
He claimed motorists will surely learn their lessons if law enforcers strictly implement traffic rules and regulations when apprehending violators and let them pay the mandated fines corresponding to their violations.
While the local government does not actually want to impose fines to motorists who are found to have violated traffic rules and regulations, he explained law enforcers have no recourse but to impose the fines to the erring motorists once they refuse to abide by the institutionalized traffic rules and regulations contained in existing laws, rules and regulations.
If only motorists are obedient to traffic rules and regulations, he pointed out law enforcers can concentrate in other law enforcement activities to ensure the continuous reign of law and order in the city and to make the city a better place to study, work, live and do business in.
By Dexter A. See
