DOTr forms group to fix traffic, get colorums in NL

BAGUIO CITY -- The Dept. of Transportation and its partner agencies launched here the Inter – Agency Council for Traffic (i-ACT) to address safety, comfort and convenience of the riding public in national roads in Cordillera and Northern Luzon.  

DOTr Assistant Secretary for Special Concerns and i-ACT Task Force chief Manuel Gonzales led other officials from the Land Transportation Office, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, Highway Patrol Group, Philippine National Police, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Department of Environment and Natural Resources and private volunteer groups in the signing of covenant for the implementation of the i-ACT mandate.

Gonzales said the i-ACT  is in line with President Rodrigo Duterte’s  directive to ensure safety and security along national roads for motorists and the riding public.

It will  serve like a one-stop-shop to intensify the monitoring of compliance to the country’s land transportation and traffic code (RA 1436), enforcement of anti-colorum and anti-smoke belching laws, as well as anti-criminality efforts along national roads, Gonzales said.

First on the inter – agency council agenda is the operation “Tanggal Bulok, Tanggal Usok”, which aims to clean the national roads of smoke belching vehicles and un-roadworthy public utility vehicles, he added.

i-ACT Metro Baguio is the fourth inter-agency council for traffic organized in the country  after Metro Manila, Cebu and Davao,

Gonzales shared that DOTr decided to establish i-ACT Metro Baguio due to demands and complain against unscrupulous operation and expansion of colorum public transport vehicles and the increasing number of road accidents on national roads in this part of the country.

For the launching, personnel from the i-ACT member agencies and volunteer groups were provided with a road safety situationer, both at the global and national level, and presentations on safer road conditions and mobility, as well as road safety and data management. (JDP/CCD-PIA CAR)