Will 24-hour road discipline zone work?

By: Emme Rose Santiagudo

The Public Safety and Transportation Management Office (PSTMO) said it will implement the 24-hour traffic discipline zone (TDZ) at the Senator Benigno Aquino Jr. Avenue or Diversion road in Mandurriao district by the second week of January 2020.

PSTMO head Jeck Conlu said they are finalizing the personnel requirements and equipment needed for the TDZ operation to be handled by Task Force Disiplina.

“Ginfinalize lang namon subong ang mga personnel requirements, trainings, and equipment nga kinahanglanon kag ang amon na lang ginahulat confirmation sang amon resources from Land Transportation Office (LTO) and Highway Patrol Group (HPG), and Philippine National Police (PNP),” he said in a phone interview on Thursday.

According to Conlu, they are waiting for the needed equipment of the personnel to be deployed in the area, particularly the breath analyzer (for drunk driving tests), speed gun, and reflectorized vest.

The city government plans to designate the 14-kilometer stretch of Senator Benigno Aquino Jr. Avenue from Brgy. San Rafael in Mandurriao district to Ungka Iloilo Terminal and General Services Inc. in Jaro district as the city’s first 24-hour TDZ.

Conlu said they need around 50 personnel from the PSTMO, PNP, HPG, and LTO to monitor the area and ensure that local ordinances and national road laws will be strictly implemented.

“Need namon 50 personnel para matutukan gid kag makita ang mga gaviolate sa dalan,” he said.

Conlu emphasized that the 24-hour traffic discipline zone in Diversion area will not only monitor the motorists but also the pedestrians as well.

“Indi lang para sa motorists. Para man ini sa mga nagagamit man para sa aton pedestrians naton or foot traffic. Tudluan man naton ang mga pasahero kon diin ang tsakto nga nagabantay,” he said.

By second week of January, Conlu said they will start the implementation of the traffic discipline zone in Mandurriao district with massive information dissemination on national and local laws and ordinances.

“Implementation una information dissemination gid kay indi pwede deretsuhon man naton mahatag kami time para sa tanan nga gagamit sang Benigno Aquino nga iinform sila so swiftly naton iimplement,” he said.

After the information dissemination, Conlu stressed that they will start to apprehend those who will violate local ordinances and national laws in the Diversion road.