The Philippine Star yesterday (April 30) reported that an assistant secretary of the Department of Transportation used the dedicated EDSA bus lane and violated the number coding system being accosted– but just got ticketed for the latter violation, which fetches a fine of only P500 and not the P5,000 for the EDSA bus lane offense.
Though the assistant secretary was not named by the report, the accosting team of Metropolitan Manila Development Authority and Philippine National Police Highway Patrol Group seemed to have given the said DOTr official a deferential treatment (I wonder why).
Citing the report of dzBB, the Star said the DOTr official’s white SUV was pulled over for using the EDSA busway, which DOTr and MMDA designed and adopted the Bus Lane program exclusively for EDSA Carousel buses and other emergency vehicles.
The DOTr official also violated the number coding scheme, which was not mentioned in the report when the incident took place, the Star noted.
The official, however, was given a traffic violation ticket only for violating the number coding scheme, which carries a fine of P500, but not for violating the EDSA bus lane, which carries a fine of P5,000 as he was said to have presented a DOTr exemption pass.
A representative from the DOTr reportedly said that the assistant secretary used an accredited vehicle with a sticker that would allow the use of the EDSA busway.
But nobody from DOTr has explained if any, or all, of its top officials are exempt from the EDSA Bus Lane System or from the number coding program.
Based on the DOTr’s own rules, however, only the following vehicles are authorized to use the EDSA bus lane: public utility buses, on-duty ambulances, fire trucks and service vehicles performing duties for the busway.
Among government officials, only vehicles of the President, Vice President, Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Chief Justice are allowed to use the EDSA Carousel
And just as I have said before in my columns, the list of violators to the EDSA bus lane would be expected to keep growing as it seems fashionable to violate the EDSA bus regulations, what with numerous politicians, influential people violating the program– obviously to beat the traffic but more importantly because they lack public attention (kulang sa pansin) and they would get the media mileage they desire through such violations.
As demonstrated by previous offenders– the likes of Chavit Singson (former Governor of Ilocos Sur), a relative of Sen. Chiz Escudero who used his protocol plate #7 and a relative of a police general– and their style of apologizing for such offenses, are too dramatic enough for others who think they can get away with violations to follow.
There are simply too many people who desire for public attention (no matter what style they come in) or there is simply too little respect for the numerous laws, rules and regulations that people are getting so tired of obeying each and everyone of them.
Your supposition is as good as mine.
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