Citing risks to road safety, Provincial Board Member Arleigh Sitoy wants the Cebu provincial government to ban car and motorcycle racing or drag racing in public roads.
Drag racing according to the PB member is rampant in San Fernando and Sibonga towns and in Carcar and Mandaue cities.
Sitoy filed last Monday the proposed Drag Racing Prohibition Ordinance to put a stop to the dangerous activity popular among affluent young people.
Without the ordinance, police and local traffic authorities are having a hard time apprehending those engaged in drag racing.
What they currently do, according to Sitoy is issue traffic violation citation tickets to those engaged in the dangerous past time.
Traffic citations range from non-wearing of crash helmets, overspeeding and use of unregistered motor vehicle in public roads.
This is not enough, Sitoy said.
While not disagreeing with the legislative measure introduced by Sitoy, PB Member Wilfredo Caminero considers drag racing a sport.
He proposes regulation of drag racing and not totally banning it.
“This can actually be a good investment that local government units (LGU) can benefit from, since it is a sports activity and most of the car lovers are into it,” he said.
But he added: “Kung ganahan sila mag drag racing adto sila sa pribadong hawan nga yota, maayo didto kay wala silay kontra nga sakyanan maka sugat,” Caminero said.
(If they want to engage in racing, they could go to a private property where there are no other motorists.)
Sitoy agrees, saying these races should have permits from the LGU.
The PB however deferred ruling on the ordinance and returned it to the committee where the changes can be integrated.
If approved, anyone caught violating the ordinance would be fined a maximum of P3,000 or imprisonment of not more than one month or both at the discretion of the court.
If those caught in illegal drag racing are under the influence of intoxicating liquor, a fine of P5,000 or one year imprisonment or both could be meted by the court./Correspondent Renan Alangilan