road safety awareness

MMDA: 9,000 errant drivers await license suspension

Coleen Ruth Abiog

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MMDA: 9,000 errant drivers await license suspension

Photo from MMDA

'Definitely, sususpendihin ang lisensiya nila. Hindi sila puwedeng magdrive,' says MMDA General Manager Jojo Garcia

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on Tuesday, September 8, said that licenses of about 9,000 drivers with multiple traffic violations will be suspended.

MMDA General Manager Jojo Garcia told reporters that the agency had submitted over 10,000 names to the Land Transportation Office in the past year, and so far, around 1,000 licenses have been suspended.

“Definitely, sususpendihin ang lisensiya nila. Hindi sila puwedeng magdrive. (Definitely, their licenses will be suspended. They won’t be able to drive),” Garcia said.

Under Republic Act No. 4136 or the Land Transportation and Traffic Code, licenses can be suspended up to 90 days. Drivers will receive a show cause order from the LTO, and will have to attend a hearing to explain themselves.

The announcement came as MMDA pushed for road safety, having been “alarmed” of rising barrier-related crash incidents along EDSA.

On Tuesday, Garcia met with transport and law enforcement authorities on the matter and said that he got their full support. Particularly, Garcia said that anti-drunk and anti-distracted driving policies will be implemented.

“Kung kaya nating kasuhan, ipakukulong natin. Lalong-lalo na ‘yung pag-inom ng alak habang nagda-drive (If we can file a case, we will put them in jail. Especially those who drive under the influence of alcohol),” Garcia said.

According to MMDA data, a total of 31,811 road crash incidents have occurred in Metro Manila for the first 8 months of the year. These resulted in 136 deaths, while over 25,000 had incurred damage to property.

Along EDSA, 618 incidents had happened, including 105 vehicles that crashed into the bus lane’s concrete barrier. MMDA had only installed these barriers in June and started replacing these with steel bollards in August.

Still, Garcia blamed the crash incidents on errant drivers, citing drunk driving as the common cause of the barrier-related crashes. He added that the barriers were “steady” and that public utility vehicles are not allowed to drive intoxicated according to Republic Act No. 10586 or the Anti-Drunk Driving Law.

Checkpoints will be placed during curfew hours, Garcia said, to monitor the road and conduct random breathalyzer tests on drivers.

MMDA has 50 breathalyzers, while the LTO has over 200. Garcia said that the Philippine National Police Highway Patrol Group has over 100 breathalyzers. – Rappler.com

Coleen Ruth Abiog is a Rappler intern. She studies journalism at the University of Santo Tomas.

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