‘NEW GENERATION OF DRIVERS, COMMUTERS’: Iloilo City mulls traffic education among students

Iloilo City hopes to create new generation of drivers and commuters thru a traffic education campaign targeting elementary and high school students in the metro.

Public Safety and Transportation Management Office (PSTMO) head Jeck Conlu said they will launch a traffic education course in public and private elementary and secondary schools under the auspices of the Traffic Academy program of the Iloilo City government.

The Traffic Academy, which was launched this month of April, aims to professionalize traffic personnel in the metro to improve the over-all traffic management in Iloilo City.

According to Conlu, the traffic education of students in the metro is part of the external component of the Traffic Academy while the other component is the education of traffic personnel.

“Naghatag instructions si Mayor Jerry Treñas nga magdihon sang programa para mageducate sang aton mga kabataan. So amo na ang aton Traffic Academy nga part diri ang education sang aton mga personnel kag ang external education para sa mga estudyante,” he said in an interview with Radyo Pilipinas Iloilo on Tuesday, April 19, 2022.

Conlu highlighted the need to start the traffic education campaign early to inculcate among the young ones the basic concepts on traffic rules, regulation, and road safety.

The PSTMO chief said that their long-term goal is to create a new generation of drivers and commuters in Iloilo City who are aware and responsible of traffic rules and regulations.

“Ang syudad naga-invest gid sa pagtudlo sa aton mga kabataan sang basic traffic rules and regulations. Education is ang pinakabasic foundation sang aton mga kabataan, so kon bal-an mo na ang penalties, madala mo ina magkuha ka sang lisensya, mabal-an mo nga dapat magsunod traffic regulations. Amo na gainvest gid si mayor sa basic education to creation new generation of drivers and commuters,” he added.

Aside from the basic traffic rules and regulations, Conlu said they will also teach students alternative transportation in the metro and how to properly use bike lanes.

Currently, the city government is still preparing for the memorandum of agreement (MOA) between the mayor and the private and public schools in the metro.

Conlu said they plan to finish the MOA signing by April and start the traffic education campaign by June once schools resume face-to-face classes. (DG)