LTO set to implement helmet law in two weeks’ time

If it was at 10:30 at night close to the airport, they also stopped me. 2 sexy girls and a fat german on a tiny scooter, no helmet but slippers, they wanted to see papers (and I think the girls going in the mini-skirt off the scooter...).

A (for them) unreadable German driving license was ok. German licenses do not expire, though.

A good indicator for a checkpoint is always when you see in the middle of nowhere 20 - 50 kids waiting on scooter for something and pointing at you. The something is, that the checkpoint is cleared again...

here some old pictures of a old traffic violation slip I got 4 years ago:

I guess Dumaguete is running a exchange program with Traffic Officers from China, Japan or Korea as I have some problems to identify the PRINTED NAME of the Traffic Officer on case...

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full thread here: http://www.dumagueteinfo.com/board/dumaguete-city/dumaguete-traffic-violation-no-134558-a-2049.html

 

I hope they will have the bones to finally implement this old law.

 

Are Motorcyles and Trikes treated differently?

Are the officers who are setting up the check points nightly the same officers who are supposed to enforce the trike ban on the local national highways? There should be good revenue coming in from the impounded motorcycles by now. Are there two different levels of motorcycle fines for impounds as mentioned in one thread?
When I was at a check point I noticed that the trikes without taillights and sometimes brake lights would just drive by. I was told by one trike driver that the trike drivers had the highway ban law under control, and that it would not be enforced. Isn't this the same national vs. local debate as with the trike highway use and motorcycle helmet requirement? Are there the typical political pressures on the selective enforcement going on here? Am I naïve, only been here 3 months?
The local newspapers seemed to indicate that the Mayor would not allow his officers to enforce the trike ban. That leaves only the LTO to enforce the law, which is fine with me if they do it with the same enthusiasm and impounds that they are doing with the motorcycles now.
I feel a whole other topic is whether the trikes should be banned on the local national highways, as indicated by law and their licensing agreements with the city. As much as I hate the tikes constant U-turns anywhere on the road and the safety issues that go along with their driving habits, the thought of the cane trucks driving through town at 80 km because there is no trikes to slow them down is scary too. But this thought probably needs another tread so as not to be confused with the helmet issue. If someone is interested with that discussion then start a thread.

 

The roads around Dumaguete are no Highway's (even locally refereed to as one), they are National Roads, there is no law to enforce to ban trikes from national roads.

 

Is there a proposed or existing ban on the trikes on certain streets?

I may have my terminology wrong, but I read in the newspaper how the trikes were not licensed to drive on certain roads, which I believe was the National Highway, Perdices and one other street which the City had not licensed the Trikes to drive on. There was a directive to the local LTO from the Manila LTO to enforce the ban because of complaints by three other transporters. The local LTO guy was having conflict with the local politics, with no support for the ban and the directive from Manila. That is what I had read a couple of weeks ago. So is there an issue with the Trikes on certain streets Or is what I read in the newspaper just false information?

 

That is an old discussion (like the helmet-law usually gets implemented each november since I am here, or Why Not is closing each year...) and was warmed up last August or so, when some wanted to make Perdices and Real partially to walking-streets. would not be the first time that newspapers also reprint articles which are years old, just to fill empty spots...

I might have been wrong, as I just remember that there is a ban of trikes of national Roads in some parts of Luzon.

However, when being here a bit longer you will find out that many "laws" made in Manila are of non-interest anywhere outside Luzon. (English and Filipino as the national languages since way over 20 years is the best example how people down here care what has been said up there). And like already mentioned earlier, for each law are additional laws and another memorandum or five, that at the end nothing happens.

I would not mind having some traffic rules including that helmet-law enforced, but I am almost sure that after collecting money for a few weeks, all will go back to normal as politicians will start to focus on the next election, so they don't wanna p*ss their voters off with enforcing laws pulling money out of their pockets ...

 

Corrected it for you: - "I hope they have the BALLS to finally implement this old law.

 

Filippinos are strong in fabricating laws.
One of such fabrication is that the law (ban on tricycles) is not valid on roads with heavy traffic of trucks, not riding faster than 40 km/ h or so.
For that reason tricycles would be allowed in and around Dumaguete (Bacong,Valencia,Sibulan) where trucks are slowing down traffic anyway.
And this fits well for those many tricycle drivers who work in Dumaguete but live (and go home) in surrounding towns.

 

i can relate to the slippers thing as once i owned race-prepped ford escorts (those were the days) and really drove those cars fast along the stretches.

there was a time i drove with my slippers on. and you know here in the philippines, 'slippers' are those rubber things with only 3-point straps made to cling to the soles of your feet. anyway, i was driving fast and i couldnt remember if that was a dog crossing the highway or some st*pid jerk making a run for it. i had to release my foot from the accelerator lightning fast and move it to the brake pedal. and you know what, my foot was stuck on the gas because of the slippers! good thing i just thought of getting my foot away from both the accelerator and the slipper, and on to the brakes.

but for shirts with no sleeves, this i cannot fathom! what, so you won't get dizzy with your own underarm's smell? LOL


regarding icc stickers, i think the LTO is not going strict on that for now as ive managed to talk to some of the guys. they just want everyone to be in helmets i guess -- for now. the only thing is, the law RA 10054 states that your helmet should have the PS or ICC stickers. and if you buy a helmet without any of these stickers and come across a wise-@ss enforcer, you're at a losing end. IMO

 

I'm sure the police/LTO/PNP have already began to educate retailers of helmets and been conducting stings on those that are selling illegal helmets. That will save anyone of us here from even wearing one on the road and getting fined for it. :-)

Just as they are out at intersections handing out brochures on helmet safety and the required helmets to those on the roads now.

Massive education program in the name of safety I'm sure.