Termination of traffic aides due to poor performance not budget lack
City Mayor Jerry Treñas yesterday clarified that the termination of undesirable traffic aides is more of a policy decision and is not due to the lack of budget. He said the city has the budget but it could not afford to pay and hire the services of ineffective and undesirable traffic aides.
The News Today's banner story yesterday reported that 24 traffic aides will no longer be renewed effective May 16 due to budget constraints.
The report quoted Traffic Management and Engineering Unit (TMEU) chief Insp. Robert Foerster who said that he received the order signed by City Administrator Melchor Tan regarding the non-renewal of contracts of 24 traffic aides because of lack of budget.
Treñas assured the job order contracts of performing traffic aides will be renewed for another month. He added the city government wants to hire the best of traffic aides to man the city's traffic.
The city government will also implement the mandatory drug testing of all traffic aides in the city next month. The applicants can go to the accredited drug testing laboratories in the city. The applicants must pass the drug test and in the performance evaluation assessment of the Traffic Technical Working Group (TTWG) and the TMEU.
The TMEU and the TTWG are expected to submit and provide the city government of their recommendation before May 25, 2008. The recommendation will contain names of traffic aides to be retained and to be terminated. The first to be affected in the so-called policy are the 24 traffic aides.
Recently, the chief executive signed Executive Order 23-2008 which establishes the guidelines for the appropriate disciplinary action among erring traffic aides or enforcers. The EO stated that as frontline employees who implement traffic rules, the aides are always visible to the public and should be able to discharge their duties with utmost integrity, competence and honesty. They should also be able to uphold public interest at all times.
Disciplinary actions are based on minor or major offenses. The EO classifies the following as minor offenses: habitual tardiness or absenteeism; improper or incomplete uniform during duty hours; abandonment of post or neglect of duty; irregular or improper apprehension; lowering of offense as declared in the Temporary Operator's Permit (TOP) of fined motorists; negligence on safekeeping of TOPs; and unreasonable delay in the endorsement of confiscated drivers' licenses.
Major offenses include: unauthorized absences or use of Traffic Management and Engineering Unit (TMEU) vehicles; tampering, falsification and forging of TOPs; positive result on drug-test requirement; under liquor influence while on duty; illegal collection of money or in kind in exchange for traffic favors; tolerating covert violation of traffic rules; abuse of authority and poor performance as evaluated by the TMEU chief.
Enforcers who commit minor offenses will be suspended for fifteen days or less while major offenders will be dismissed from duty or an outright non-renewal of job order will be imposed.