Valladolid reviews road safety after fatal crash

By Glazyl M. Jopson

BACOLOD CITY — The municipal government of Valladolid, Negros Occidental, will review road safety standards for vendors after a fatal road crash left two people dead Sunday at the boulevard in Barangay Palaka.

In a media interview Tuesday, Mayor Ricardo Presbitero Jr. said the municipal government had temporarily suspended economic and tourism activities in the area pending a review of local policies.

The area has drawn tourists, prompting the barangay council to initiate vendor and tourism activities before the accident.

Presbitero said officials discussed new plans Monday that would allow vendors to resume their businesses in the area under additional safety measures.

He said rules must be set for vendors, including designated selling areas and the hours when they may display food carts and sell their products.

The mayor said the municipal government would also coordinate with the Department of Public Works and Highways on the installation of clear road markings and traffic signs at the site.

He also called for the strict enforcement of speed limits for passing vehicles.

On Sunday, a 36-year-old vendor and her 17-year-old niece were killed after a fuel tanker truck plowed into their roadside food cart when the driver allegedly dozed off.

The vendor’s 19-year-old son was recovering in a hospital.