MMDA chair welcomes suit vs motorcycle lanes

MANILA, Philippines—Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chair Francis Tolentino has welcomed a suit filed by a motorcycle safety advocacy group against the implementation of the motorcycle lanes at Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City and Macapagal Avenue in Pasay City.

“We welcome this lawsuit … with an end view of fine-tuning [the policy],” Tolentino said in a television interview, insisting that the new measure is very “helpful to the public.”

He lamented that it appeared the judicial process was apparently being used to stop a policy which he said tried to “instill discipline” among motorists.

“Sometimes I ask myself what’s wrong about it? I cannot help but question the broad democratic space we have,” the official continued. “Our judicial system is being used.”

Tolentino explained the ordinance was passed and signed into law by the Quezon City Government in 2007. Following the usual procedure, stakeholders were always invited to public hearings into proposed legislation, he said.

From the information he gathered, Tolentino said it appeared the Motorcycle Rights Association was not registered at the Securities and Exchange Commission at the time the legislation was being debated upon.

The group asked the Quezon City Regional Trial Court to stop the local government and the MMDA from implementing the motorcycle lane policy on Commonwealth Avenue.

“There is always presumption of regularity. When this was approved by the city government, no one questioned the policy, ” Tolentino said. “It’s only now that there’s opposition to this.”

He added that the policy is still in the trial period which would last for about one to two months and then evaluated and refined if necessary.

Motorcycle accidents have been significantly reduced since the implementation of the motorcycle lanes last week.

The MMDA recorded only one incident since Oct. 17 from an average of 26 to 42 motorcycle mishaps weekly, Tolentino said.