Council: Increase fine to P200

The Cebu City Council is pushing to amend the 10-year-old anti-jaywalking ordinance so that fines for violators can be increased to a minimum of P200 to a maximum of P1,000.

Councilor Sisinio Andales said he also wanted the ordinance to be implemented citywide and not just on the junction of Osmeña Boulevard and Colon Street where traffic enforcers would mostly gather.

“The jaywalking ordinance is only imposed near Metro Colon,” said Andales.

Councilor Ritchie Osmeña, the council’s traffic committee head, drafted a proposed ordinance that would amend the anti-jaywalking measure. The proposal is now pending before the City Council.

The anti-jaywalking ordinance only imposes a fine of not less than P100 to not more than P100 or an imprisonment of one day.

Osmeña wanted fines raised from a minimum of P200 to a maximum of P1,000 or imprisonment of two days or both.

However, violators may opt for a compromise fee of P200.

Osmeña said the increase on fines would make people more cautious on violating the ordinance.

“In order to install further discipline on the roads, there is a need to increase the penalty and the administrative fine for those found violating the said ordinance,” said Osmeña’s draft ordinance.

The council has set an Aug. 10 public hearing to discuss the proposed amendment to the city’s jaywalking ordinance.

So far, the committees on laws and ordinance of councilor Edgar Labella and the committee on traffic through its vice chairperson Noel Wenceslao already rendered their committee reports expressing support on amendments that Osmeña is proposing on the anti-jaywalking ordinance.

“The proposed amendatory ordinance is within the authority of this Body to enact. The sanguniang panlungsod has the power to regulate the use of the streets, avenues, alleys, sidewalks and bridges and approve ordinances imposing a fine not exceeding P5,000 or an imprisonment not exceeding one year or both in the discretion of a court, for violation of a city ordinance,” said Labella’s committee report.

Labella’s committee report said that imposing  bigger fines for jaywalking violations is expected to “give more teeth to the ordinance and discourage pedestrians from jaywalking and, thus, avert accidents and other untoward incidents.”

Councilor Wenceslao said in his committee report that “maintaining discipline on the road for both passengers and drivers is easier said than done.”

“There is a need to strictly implement traffic laws to maintain order and road safety,” he said.