• RICHARD T. CABALLERO JR.
The Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) is aiming to strengthen its traffic protocols across the city to provide a solution to road incidents by implementing the riding-in-tandem ordinance.
This follows a series of road crashes reported in the city, which mostly happened in the evening and late at night. Based on Bacolod City Ordinance No. 832, series of 2017, riding in tandem on motorcycles at night, specifically from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m., are prohibited, to combat crime.
Early yesterday morning, two men died in a road crash at Barangay Villamonte. With the help of the ordinance, the police aim to lessen such incidents.
BCPO Director PCol. Joeresty Coronica said yesterday that he already requested all the police stations to conduct daily checkpoints within their area to lessen road crashes.
The implementation aims to capture riders that are violating the ordinance.
Coronica said that they had already asked all regulatory bodies that are involved in the implementation of the ordinance for stricter and more effective execution.
He cited that based on RA 4136, or the land and transportation traffic code, a police officer cannot arrest the violators, which is why the BCPO is coordinating with the concerned agencies.
“The checkpoints were only conducted at the border points, but now I have already commanded all stations to conduct daily checkpoints within their area…We had also coordinated with other government agencies,” he said.
The BCPO had requested the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to install additional signages in accident-prone areas, particularly at the Bacolod-Negros Occidental Economic Highway (BANOCEH), where most of the road incidents have occurred.
“We need signages to determine that we are approaching another major road artery to prevent traffic incidents,” Coronica said, citing the importance of road signages.*
