Traffic aides to undergo drug test
The city's traffic aides will be required to undergo drug test before their contracts could be renewed. The city government implements this new scheme to ensure that no drug dependent traffic aides are out on the streets.
Mayor Jerry Treñas said the new scheme is more of a precautionary measure among the motorists, drivers and pedestrians. The traffic aides are the front liners on the road and they should be sensitive to their work. There are times when altercations ensue between traffic aides and drivers.
The idea requiring the traffic aides to undergo drug test is an offshoot of the recent drug raid in Molo district where a former traffic aide was allegedly one of those suspects apprehended by the joint police and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) raiding team. The mayor expressed disappointment over the arrest of the former traffic aide.
Treñas said the City Legal Office and the Traffic Management and Engineering Unit (TMEU) are now drafting the mechanics on how to conduct the drug tests among the city's traffic aides. The mechanics will include who will pay for the drug test and how to conduct the drug test that will reflect the real state of the person.