MIDC mayors blink on call to suspend new traffic ordinance
Town mayors belonging to the Metro Iloilo Development Council (MIDC) have backtracked on their earlier move to call for the suspension of the implementation of Regulation Ordinance 2007-195 which cut short the routes of MIDC-bound public utility vehicles.
Instead of calling for the suspension of the new traffic ordinance the mayors have called for its amendment.
Mayor Jerry Treñas yesterday relayed the development after he had a meeting with the five municipal mayors late Wednesday afternoon. He immediately forwarded the request of Mayor Vicente Flores of Oton and Mayor Isabelo Maquino of Sta. Barbara to the city council for the amendment of the new traffic ordinance.
The request for an amendment is an offshoot of the response made by the city council on the first request of the mayors to suspend the implementation of the new traffic ordinance. In last Wednesday's session, the council only noted down the request of the mayors to defer the implementation of the new traffic ordinance.
Flores and Maquino were the first local chief executives to submit their request to the mayor yesterday morning. The request were then immediately forwarded to the city council for action. The request is expected to be deliberated on the floor in next week's regular session of the city council.
Treñas made clear that the implementation of the new traffic ordinance is still in effect pending the deliberation of the city council.
Treñas said he does not want to preempt the decision of the legislative body over the mayors' request to reconsider some routes.
He said after the letter of request was forwarded to the city council. The members of the body will again refer the matter to City Councilor Erwin Plagata, chair of the committee on transportation, communication and public utilities.
The mayor added that he is not a member of the committee on traffic that he can immediately decide on the request of the five municipal mayors. Nevertheless, the pleas of the municipal mayors should be heard, he said.