Motorists warned vs defying 60-kph rule along ‘killer highway’

Defy or ignore the 60-kph speed limit along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City at your own risk, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) warned motorists on Monday. MMDA chairman Francis Tolentino gave the warning as the agency prepares to start enforcing the speed limit and lane assignments along the 12.4-km "killer highway" starting 4 a.m. Tuesday. "Kung binalewala mahirapan kayo maka-renew ng driver's license, nakaalarma kayo sa [Land Transportation Office], at di ninyo ma-renew ang registration ng sasakyan ninyo hangga't hindi ninyo sine-settle ang fine sa MMDA," Tolentino warned motorists in an interview on dwIZ radio. (If you ignore the speed limit and are caught on camera, your vehicles will be flagged at the Land Transportation Office and you cannot renew your vehicle registration or your driver's licenses.) Even government vehicles will not be exempt from the stricter traffic rules, he said, adding that only ambulances rushing patients to hospitals will get a free pass along the 12.4-km road.

"Maging government cars kasali, maliban kung ambulansya. Ang government cars may trip ticket din (Even government cars will be covered while ambulances are exempt. Government cars will have trip tickets so it will be easy to trace the violator)," Tolentino said in a separate interview on dzBB radio. Tolentino said he will personally lead some 200 traffic personnel in enforcing traffic along the "killer highway" starting 4 a.m. Tuesday. Citing figures from his office, he said Commonwealth Avenue accounted for 4.4 percent of fatalities in Metro Manila road accidents last year. Among the tighter traffic rules to be enforced along Commonwealth Avenue, which links the Philcoa and Batasan areas, are:

New traffic lane assignments where two rightmost yellow lanes are for buses; the next two rightmost lanes are for jeepneys and motorcycles; and five lanes for private vehicles. Two of the five lanes will be for vehicles using U-turn slots; and

A 60 kph speed limit for public and private vehicles, with a P1,200 fine per violation. Tolentino said that while there will be no traffic aides to accost violators on the spot, cameras will take photos of the violations, and the erring motorists will be sent summons to pay their fines. "Di kailangan itigil namin ang sasakyan. Maaring tawanan kami. Ang aming ipapatupad ... pag nakuha kayo ng aming camera o speed gun makakatanggap kayo ng summons (There may be no traffic aide to accost violators, so violators may at first think they outwitted us. But the violators can expect a summons from us)," he said. Names of violators will be published weekly on the MMDA website until they settle their accounts, Tolentino said. "Naka-publish yan hanggang di sine-settle ang account, hanggang dumating tayo sa puntong meron tayong self-discipline (Their names will remain on the list until they settle their accounts. This will go on until we can have a sense of self-discipline)," he said. Tolentino said they spent Sunday night painting markings on the lanes, particularly for bus lanes. He said they planned to install sign boards Monday. Also, he said they installed signs on foot bridges indicating which lanes are for buses, jeeps and private vehicles, as well as the 60-kph speed limit. — KBK/RSJ, GMANews.TV