Keep bad drivers, habits out of roads, Poe tells transport execs

Senator Grace Poe grills Transport officials on the requested emergency powers for the Duterte government to address the traffic situation in the country. PHOTO FROM POE’S FACEBOOK PAGE

Senator Grace Poe prodded transport officials on Wednesday to act on the many “unqualified” motorists, who do not understand simple traffic rules on the road.

This problem, she said, could be addressed even without the emergency powers being sought for by President Rodrigo Duterte to address the traffic problem in the country.

“There are projects that do not need emergency powers at all but you can already implement them now,” Poe said before she concluded the public hearings of the Senate committee on public services, which she chairs.

“One, do something about having too many unqualified drivers on the road. These people do not know or understand traffic signs/ signals so please make sure that the exams to obtain a driver’s license should really be professionalized, hindi ‘yung puro lusot (and not be just about connections),” she said.

READ: Bad drivers blamed for most accidents

Poe said there should be dedicated parking spaces for all vehicles. Each barangay (village), she said, could have an open pay-parking area and towing yard.

“Parking on the sidewalk should be absolutely prohibited,” she said.

And third, Poe said, the transport authorities should identify and implement designated bus and jeepney stops.

“Hanggang ngayon sa gitna pa rin nagbababa (Until now, drivers unload passengers in the middle of the road). Since the Philippines is in a hot humid tropical location, the walking threshold is only two hundred meters when out in the open—that is, no shade from the hot sun or rain, please consider this,” she said.

Poe said there might be no longer a need to grant President Roridgo Duterte emergency powers if the motorists would follow the traffic rules.

Nevertheless, the senator reiterated her desire to have the proposed emergency powers passed at the Senate before the year ends.

READ: Emergency powers to have defined scope, time frame–Poe

“Huwag mag-alala ang publiko kasi sabi nga namin, gusto din namin mapabilis rin ‘yung trabaho nila kaya hangga’t sa abot ng aking makakaya dito sa mas mataas na kapulungan, sa tingin ko bago naman mag Disyembre eh mapapasa na namin ang emergency powers dito,” she said.

(The public must not be worried because we also want the government to go around their work more easily, so we would do our best in the Senate to approve the request for emergency powers by December.)

“Pero syempre kailangan din natin ng tulong ng ating mga kasamahan sa Kongreso (But we also need the cooperation of our colleagues in the Congress),” Poe added.

The House of Representatives has also started its hearings on the proposed emergency powers. IDL