The issue of road markings has recently come up after a motoring journalist’s son was apprehended for a traffic violation that involved crossing a double solid yellow line on the Skyway Stage 3 last December. It was a simple traffic violation that blew up after the dad complained on social media about the violation of “reckless driving” which he feared was a criminal offense, and the difficulty they had to settle their fine, since the apprehension was made during a multiple holiday period that the Philippine government is known to be a fan of.
Anyway, in the end it was also discovered that the vehicle involved was unregistered because it was a media loaner, so no Official Receipt and Certificate of Registration could be presented, which is another violation. Why a motoring journalist’s son was driving a loaner is another kink in the story that complicated it further.
However, for those of us in the provinces, the big issue for us was learning that rules on road markings are actually enforced by the Land Transportation Office, because anyone who drives over here has long assumed that those lines are merely suggestions because nobody we know had been apprehended and penalized for crossing those painted lines while driving.
Take for example the length of Bacolod’s Lacson Street, which has a single solid line dividing the opposing lanes. That means no passing, overtaking, or U-turns along that entire stretch of road, but anyone can do all of the above, even during rush hour, and nobody has been caught so far.
Another example I see everyday is the area near the Bata flyover, which is fast becoming a commercial zone because of a new hotel and retail row. Absolutely nobody respects the double yellow solid line that divides the opposing lanes at the approach of the flyover, which is followed by a single white solid line at the area near the hotel, shops, and restaurants. Anyone can cross the line to turn left, anytime, with absolute impunity in that area, whether they are northbound, southbound, or coming from the commercial establishments.
If the existing road markings were enforced in that area, there would be absolutely no left turns for southbound vehicles. That means those who want to go back into Bacolod from the commercial center would need to make a U-turn under the flyover. It’s a little bit inconvenient compared to just crossing the solid lines that suggest some sort of order, but it’s not that far off and that would make things a lot safer and more efficient. The problem would be for those who want to turn left. The solid line needs to be broken where a safe left turn can be allowed.
If nobody has been apprehended or fined for crossing those road markings that are supposed to be strictly followed, then maybe the LTO, DPWH, and the local government can get together and decide to ease the confusion by simply erasing those lines that the driving public is making a mockery of. If there is no intent to enforce any order or discipline in that area, then there should no longer be any solid lines — single or double, white or yellow. Why not just make it all dashed lines, or save paint by putting no road markings instead?
Aside from the disrespected solid lines on the road, there is also an abundance of pedestrian crossings that instead of imposing discipline and safety, has ended up being ignored by drivers and pedestrians alike. There are so many pedestrian crossings along Bacolod’s Lacson Street that if a driver actually stops at each and every crossing, they’d be braking every few meters. Even entrances to certain commercial establishments get a pedestrian crossing, even if there is already one merely meters away. Nobody knows the DPWH/LTO algorithm or logic for deciding who gets a special pedestrian crossing at their doorstep, or even knows if those 2 government agencies are coordinating anything. What is known is that their strategy of crossing-bombing a city seems to be a counterproductive one, as pedestrians still cross anywhere despite having so many crossings, and drivers have by now learned to ignore most crossings that are deemed unnecessary. After all, nobody gets apprehended anyway, whether for jaywalking or blocking crossings.
Road markings are supposed to keep traffic flowing safely and predictably. However, as we have been witnessing from the way we have been using our roads, safety, predictability, and efficiency doesn’t happen automatically. The people responsible for the markings have to know what they are doing, and those rules have to be enforced. If not, then the users will simply do whatever they want, which is also fine if you are ok with chaos that is unsafe and unpredictable, but nobody has to be penalized anyway.*
