IACT gets 300 highway patrol cops, 100 coast guard members

NIÑO JESUS ORBETA/ FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — The Inter-Agency Council for Traffic (IACT) will receive additional 300 officers from the Philippine National Police Highway Patrol Group (PNP-HPG) and 100 members of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), in an effort to increase its visibility with more personnel.

Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año and Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur Tugade on Monday signed a commitment paper on the deployment of additional personnel in a ceremony in Camp Crame.

“The IACT is very grateful to the DILG, PNP-HPG and PCG for strengthening and expanding its support to the council,” Manny Gonzales, IACT chief and DOTr Assistant Secretary for Special Concerns, said in a statement.

“Because of these additional deputized personnel, our operations will not just be more intensified but also our enforcement will be more unyielding to ensure that traffic rules are strictly observed,” he said.

According to IACT, the personnel already went through orientation and deputation seminars regarding the mandate and functions of the council.

IACT has been conducting traffic management and enforcement operations with around 150 combined personnel from the DOTr, PNP-HPG, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, Land Transportation Office, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, Joint Task Force, and local government units, the council said.

“We are optimistic that, with the incoming combined 400 personnel from both the HPG and PCG, IACT can help cover key choke points of Metro and other regional centres, while we continue to help enforce traffic rules to and from the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX),” Deputy Executive Director and IACT Communications Head Elmer Argaño said.

Argaño said that in 2018, IACT apprehended more than 800 public utility vehicles and has ticketed more than 8,300 vehicles for various traffic violations.

Aside from the additional personnel, the DILG has also committed to provide IACT with 24 mobile cars and 82 motorcycle units. /je

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