Davao City’s Sangguniang Panglungsod approves traffic code

DAVAO CITY- On third and final reading of the Sangguniang Panlungsod approved the Comprehensive Transport and Traffic Management Code of Davao City during its session of August 7, 2012.

Councilors of the 16th City Council hailed the Code as a landmark legislation.

            Councilor Pilar C. Braga, author of the Traffic Code and co-author Councilor Victorio U. Advincula Jr., are elated that after years in the making, after several public hearings, committee hearings, technical working group meetings and oversight committee meetings, the Code was passed by a unanimous vote.

            The Code has 28 articles and 215 sections and has 100 pages.

            Some of the special features of the Code are:

1.    Creation of the City Transport and Traffic Management Office (CTTMO) with divisions on Traffic Engineering and Infrastructure Division (TEID), Traffic Enforcement and Street Management Division (TSMD), Transport Planning and Management Division  (TPMD), Facilities Management and Operations Division (FMOD), Administrative and Support Division (ASD), Motorized Vehicle Franchising and Regulatory Division (MVFRD);

2.    Creation of a Trust Fund from collections of fees fine and penalties to be used for traffic management purposes;

3.    The institutionalization of technology as traffic instruments such as the CCTV, traffic signalization, speed gun, breath analyzer and others to be operated by the CTTMO;

4.    The regulation of the operations of motorized fishing vessel three tonnage and below, non-motorized boat, and other motorized vessel using the City of Davao as port of call;

5.    It prohibits illegal fabrication or manufactures or design of public utility vehicles (PUV) such as “uso-uso”, “bora-bora”, and “paying-payong”, etc.;

6.    It provides for other miscellaneous provisions that are of special concern in City of Davao, such as decriminalizing jaywalking and others;

Mayor Sara Z. Duterte in her message said: “This document will be instrumental in the sound management of the city’s road network, and we thank you for your exhaustive efforts to see it through to its completion. Given our highly-urbanized area, the City Government acknowledges that well-drawn mechanisms need to be undertaken to address the increasing number of vehicles and pedestrians on the city’s streets. Congratulations to Hon. Pilar C. Braga and the City Council Committee on Energy, Transportation and Communication, the members of the Technical Working Group, and all the offices and individuals who contributed towards the completion of this Comprehensive Transport and Traffic Code of Davao City.”