‘MORE BITE, LESS BARK’: Iloilo City ordinance to raise fines in discipline zones

By Aiya Cantomayor and Estrella Urquiola

Traffic discipline zones in Iloilo City could soon carry real consequences, as a proposed ordinance seeks to institutionalize the designation and impose stiffer penalties on violators.

Councilor Sedfrey Cabaluna, chairperson of the Sangguniang Panlungsod’s transportation committee, said the measure would define the term “traffic discipline zones” for the first time in city law.

It would also set higher penalties for motorists and pedestrians who violate traffic rules in designated areas, particularly along major roads and traffic choke points.

Cabaluna said the proposal aims to give “teeth” to earlier declarations by spelling out the rules and penalties that take effect once an area is designated.

The city has declared traffic discipline zones before, but never passed an ordinance governing them. That left enforcement fluid and dependent on the administration in office.

“It’s only just a declaration; we want to make sure that it has teeth … Right now, people simply assume it means following traffic rules, but those same rules apply on any road. We want to make the distinction clear,” Cabaluna said.

He said several roads already carry the designation, but the city has yet to attach specific rules or legal consequences to it.

Under the proposal, violators caught inside a designated zone would face higher fines than those committing the same offense elsewhere in the city.

Offenses that could carry the heavier penalties include jaywalking, illegal loading and unloading, and illegal parking.

“The plan is not only to regulate speed limits but also to impose stiffer penalties. For example, the penalty for jaywalking or loading and unloading in prohibited areas will be higher if the violation is committed inside a traffic discipline zone,” he said.

Cabaluna said the intent is to build a culture of discipline, not to collect more in fines.

“Our goal is not to create areas where people are merely penalized. We want these to become places where people learn what traffic discipline means in a city where road space is limited, and everyone has to share it responsibly,” he said.

The measure would also define the obligations of motorists, commuters, and pedestrians once an area is designated.

Cabaluna said the city plans to declare major choke points as traffic discipline zones once improvement projects in those areas are finished.

The City Council has already received endorsements covering several choke points for consideration under the proposal, he said.

City authorities have identified 38 traffic choke points across Iloilo City. Those points have been the focus of traffic management and infrastructure work meant to ease congestion and improve road safety.