DPWH, LTO, PNP agree to collaborate on traffic woes
LINGAYEN – Three national agencies on Monday, October 17, have agreed to work hand-in-hand to address traffic congestion in various parts of Pangasinan.
This was the understanding reached by the regional and provincial top officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Land Transportation Office (LTO) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) who appeared during the SP question hour that looked into the policies of the DPWH on the implementation of infrastructure projects and the traffic rules and regulations being implemented by the LTO.
The SP inquiry called by Board Members Raul Sison and Noel Bince also sought answers from the three agencies on how they can help alleviate the worsening heavy traffic problem in Calasiao, Binmaley, Dagupan City and other parts of Pangasinan.
SP, they said, can help by adopting legislation to help.
In response, Acting Police Provincial Director Ronald Oliver Lee told SP members that the PNP, being in-charge to help address traffic problems in the province requested Local Government Units and the LTO to back up the PNP with legal basis for law enforcement.
“We need an ordinance on traffic regulations for us to reinforce, or for the LTO to deputize our policemen to arrest people who violate traffic rules,” Lee said, PNP as he explained, do not have the power to sanction traffic violators.
Lee said that in the absence of a local legislation that pertains to traffic regulations, the LTO could deputize the police to assist them in implementing traffic rules and regulations.
LTO Lingayen District Office Chief Eric Soriven, however, clarified that in deputizing highway patrol policemen to arrest traffic violators, they will be accountable for the temporary operator’s permit (ticket) issued by the LTO.
Today, only highway patrol policemen are deputized to arrest traffic offenders.
Lee added that to help ease traffic problems, he had already instructed chiefs of police to advise tricycle drivers and operators, and vendors to stay in their designated areas and to keep out of major thoroughfares.
Meanwhile, DPWH executives, Regional Director Nerie Bueno, Engr. Smile Fermin (1st district engineering office), Engr. Rodolfo Dion (2nd district engineering office), Engr. Emmanuel Diaz (3rd district engineering office) and Engr. Marieta Mendoza (4th district engineering office) have also vowed to see to it that roads and bridges projects of the agency implemented by contractors are properly supervised and monitored. (With report from PIO)
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