Poe bill seeks installation of road signages based on int’l standards

Senator Grace Poe on Wednesday filed a bill which seeks to mandate government agencies to install road and other public safety signages based on international standards.

Senate Bill 2293 or the Public Safety Signages Accountability Act seeks to lessen car accidents and other hazards by providing citizens timely and correct information on traffic instructions, road hazard, and other warnings.

“There are of course a multitude of factors that contribute to these statistics, but one identified factor is the faulty road signs installed throughout the streets and highways of the country. Articles and images of faulty or questionable signages have been reported throughout the years, and it still remains as an evident threat to both motorists and pedestrians. Hence, this bill,” Poe said in her explanatory note.

In filing the bill, she reminded that Philippines has ratified in 1973 the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals with the end goal of harmonizing traffic signs and symbols with the international community as well as propelling the government’s campaign for road safety.

She cited Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) data in 2019 which showed that there are 121,771 road crashes of which 372 were fatal.

In 2020, MMDA also registered 65,032 road crashes that cost 337 lives despite the decreased mobility due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Under SB 2293, the Department of Public Works and Highways will take charge of the public safety signs on national roads.

The MMDA will oversee national roads in Metro Manila while the local government units will be responsible for the local roads.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Mines and Geosciences Bureau (DENR-MGB) will be tasked to update the geohazard map.

It will be mandated to identify areas susceptible to floods, landslides, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and the like, and coordinate with the DPWH and MMDA on setting up the necessary signs.

SB 2293 will also provide penalties to government officials who will be found remiss should there be any death or injury due to the lack or absence of a proper safety signage in an area identified as potentially risky.

Violators may face the penalty of suspension of one month and a day to three months for the first offense, suspension of up to six months for the second offense, up to one year and a day for the third offense, and dismissal from service on the fourth offense.—AOL, GMA News