Baugio City Finally Decides to Enforce the Speed Limit

Traffic in the Philippines is a nightmare. Terrible drivers are only half the problem. The other half is the lack of enforcement of the traffic rules. Here's another instance where the authorities have refused to do their job. Until now. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1251283

All drivers traversing the city's roads must comply with speed limits of 20 to 30 kilometers per hour (kph) in a bid to address the growing number of vehicular accidents.

A recent meeting among officials of the city government, Baguio City Police Office (BCPO), Land Transportation Office, Public Order and Safety Division, and other concerned agencies resulted in the agreement to strictly enforce the measure passed by the city council in 2019 but has not been implemented.

Mayor Benjamin Magalong said in an interview Monday that the maximum speed of 20 kph will cover the central business district and other major roads, while a maximum 30 kph applies to all inner roads.

The city government will procure speed monitoring devices and sensors to ensure compliance.

“This is to underscore the city’s commitment to public safety and the prevention of traffic-related injuries and fatalities. Motorists are strongly urged to comply with these speed limits at all times. Let us work together to keep Baguio’s roads safe for everyone," he said.

Based on police records, there were 377 vehicular traffic accidents from Jan. 1 to May 29. Eight died.

In 2024, there were 313 incidents during the same period.

Magalong said the city government will also purchase breath analyzers to catch intoxicated drivers, particularly at night.

BCPO Director Col. Ruel Tagel said in a separate interview that they are also implementing the Oplan Discipline, Respect, Infrastructure, Vigilance and Education (DRIVE) which is a multi-stakeholder approach to address the sudden surge in vehicular accidents.

Oplan DRIVE involves a combination of driver behavior, road infrastructure and law enforcement as measures to improve road safety.

“This is anchored on the three E’s of road safety, engineering, education and enforcement, that seeks to strengthen synergy among agencies as they carry out their respective traffic safety mandates," Tagel said.

In 2019 Baguio City passed a measure limiting the speed of vehicles to 20 kph in the central business district and 30 kph everywhere else. For six years no one thought to implement this law. What's the point of having a government if they refuse to govern? 

That they are doing something now is nothing to be cheering about. The measure should have been enforced when it was passed. The city says they need to "procure speed monitoring devices and sensors to ensure compliance." What was stopping them from doing this in 2019? The city also says this "underscores the city’s commitment to public safety and the prevention of traffic-related injuries and fatalities" which is completely laughabale. If they were so concerned about public safety they would have been enforcing this law.

What other laws not only in Baguio but throughout the country are on the books but are not being enforced? Sadly this refusal to enforce the laws is nothing shocking in the Philippines. That's just how it is.