MORE than a week into the enforcement of the Anti-Distracted Driving Act, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) in Bacolod City has yet to arrest drivers using their gadgets while driving.
“This is because we haven’t seen any of them using their cellphones,” said LTO-Western Visayas Director Roland Ramos, adding that they have deployed teams to the field to arrest violators.
He attributed the “no violation” to the successful information drive of the modified implementing rules and regulations of the traffic law.
“I’m very thankful that drivers are aware of it,” Ramos said. “We have an effective campaign.”
The implementation of the traffic law resumed on July 6, but LTO-Western Visayas held a massive information campaign in the cities of Bacolod and Iloilo until its full implementation on July 10.
Under the law, distracted driving includes using mobile communication device to write, send or read a text-based communication, or to make or receive calls, play games, watch movies, surf the internet, compose messages, read e-books, and perform calculations.
The violation will be considered whether the vehicle is in motion or temporarily stopping in a red light or in any intersection.
Violators will be penalized with a fine of P5,000 for the first offense, P10,000 for the second offense, and P15,000 for the third offense with a three-month suspension of driver’s license. Violations incurred beyond the third offense shall be penalized with the revocation of driver’s license and a fine of P20,000.
Moreover, Ramos said they are also intensifying the campaign against illegal parking to mitigate traffic in urban centers.
He said illegal parking is “long-time violation” of drivers.
“We are serious in this drive,” Ramos said, warning drivers not to park their cars in areas not designated for parking like the sidewalks as it could cause traffic.
Meanwhile, LTO-Western Visayas has created the Provincial Law Enforcement Services team for Negros Occidental.
The team led deputation seminars all over the province to deputize policemen and traffic authorities in the different towns and cities to assist LTO, a press release from the agency said.
The LTO has also observed many brand-new private vehicles plying the highways without registration.
LTO-Bacolod head Renato Novero called on automotive dealers to register immediately the brand-new vehicles they sell.
“Dealers are aware of this registration process for a long time already and we do not want to hear them putting the blame on the agency for the processing delay,” Novero said.
Drivers with unregistered vehicles will be slapped with P12,000 fine while dealers will be penalized P1,000.