Bacolod City Police Office Director Senior Supt. Ricardo de la Paz ordered Traffic Management Unit head Chief Insp. Luisito Acebuche to apprehend taxis without emergency blinkers effective today.

De la Paz said the blinkers are required under City Ordinance 590, approved in May this year, as emergency warning devices.

Aside from taxis with no emergency blinkers, BCPO, through the Traffic Management Unit will also apprehend those with defective blinkers, he said.

“This is already a city ordinance and we need to implement it fully as it is for the safety of the taxi drivers, as emergency blinkers could be an effective deterrent to crimes, especially robbery”, de la Paz added.

De la Paz said that before the approval of the city ordinance series of hearings conducted and most taxi operators were in favor of the installation of emergency blinkers.

In fact, he said, more than 50 percent of the taxis plying Bacolod City's main thoroughfares already have installed them.

As specified under the ordinance, first offense for a malfunctioning blinker light comes with a warning; a P500 fine for the second offense; a fine of P1,000 for the third offense; and, for the fourth offense, a P2,000 fine and cancellation of one's business permit until the malfunctioning EWD is repaired.

For having no blinker light, a taxi operator will be fined P5,000 plus temporary cancellation of his business permit until the unit is installed.

BTAO has sent the copies of the resolution to the Negros Occidental Provincial Police Office and other cities and municipalities through the provincial police director, while the chiefs of police of other cities and municipalities will be informed about the ordinance.*APN

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