Stiffer penalties await blue-lane violators

MANILA, Philippines—Nearly a week after the start of the dry run for the EDSA blue lane, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA)on Sunday reminded motorcyclists to stick to the lane designated for their use, lest they be penalized for violating the new traffic scheme, which the agency’s top official described as successful.

According to MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino, since the start of the program last Tuesday, no motorcycle-related accidents had been reported on the 23.8-kilometer-long thoroughfare, one of the busiest in the metropolis.

“Hopefully, the… implementation of the EDSA blue lane will stay [smooth],” he said in a statement.

Tolentino reminded motorcyclists that with the official start of the program kicking off Monday, violators would get citation tickets. They would also be required to pay a fine ranging from P150 to P2,000.

“Riders with no helmets and proper safety gear will also be apprehended and fined, including those using mobile phones while driving,” he said.

“We will also not tolerate overloading. Based on Land Transportation Office regulations, a motorcycle should only have one passenger, a back seater. We will also be implementing the rule where motorcycle headlights should be on even during daytime,” Tolentino added.

The motorcycle lane, which has blue markings, is the fourth one from the sidewalk in both the northbound and southbound directions.

Data from the MMDA Traffic Engineering Center showed that there were 681 motorcycle accidents on EDSA in 2011, or around 57 incidents monthly and at least two daily.

In a radio interview, operations assistant general Emerson Carlos said that traffic enforcers flagged down 833 motorcyclists for not using the lane on Friday, bringing the total number of apprehended riders since Tuesday to 3,783.

They were made to attend a 15-minute safe-riding seminar—the same penalty meted out to first-time violators when the traffic scheme was implemented on Diosdado Macapagal Avenue in Pasay City last year.

On Tuesday, the first day of the dry run, 1,403 violators were apprehended. This went down to 855 on Wednesday and 692 on Thursday.