Filtered By: Topstories
News

MMDA to start night traffic duty on August 16


Starting August 16, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority will deploy traffic officers for the night duty to minimize nighttime and predawn crime and traffic incidents. MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino said the deployment of nighttime traffic enforcers will also ensure faster response to traffic accidents. “Sa Aug. 16 ipatutupad natin ang ‘MMDA sa gabi.’ Magkakaroon ng naka-duty na traffic enforcers sa gabi hanggang madaling araw na 'yan (Starting Aug. 16, we will have MMDA enforcers at night. This means we will have traffic enforcers on the nighttime and predawn beats)," he said in an interview on dzRH radio. He noted several accidents occur at night, many of them due to motorists thinking they can get away with traffic rules because there is no one to enforce them. Several accidents stemming from overspeeding and other traffic violations – particularly by drivers of public utility jeeps and buses — take place at night and before dawn. Also noting nighttime accidents and crimes, the Philippine National Police is considering bringing back checkpoints at night. Radio dzBB’s Benjie Liwanag Jr. had reported the PNP citing a survey indicating that nearly four out of five Filipinos, or 78.4 percent, want checkpoints back at night because these are effective against crime, as proven in the last national election season. In an article on its website, the PNP said the survey was conducted by the Asia-Pacific Centre for Research (ACRE) from May 27 to June 11. “[The survey] revealed that 78.4 percent or almost eight out of 10 Filipinos would like the police to continue the operation of checkpoints as a regular part of its anti-crime and law enforcement function," the PNP said in its website. Records from the PNP National Election Monitoring and Action Center showed 3,049 people were arrested for election gun ban violations since the gun ban started last January 10, in an effort to secure the May 10 national and local polls. During the gun ban period, government agents were able confiscated 2,654 firearms of various caliber, 292 explosive devices including fragmentation grenades, 694 bladed weapons and several toy gun replicas. Also, the survey found nearly nine out of 10 or 85.5 percent of Filipinos from age 16 years old and up was aware of the Comelec-led checkpoints, having seen or passed by one such set-up during the same period. Only 14.5 percent were unaware. — LBG, GMANews.TV

Tags: mmda, nightshift
LOADING CONTENT