Treñas urges SP to pass ordinance vs. 'texting while driving'
City Mayor Jerry Treñas encourages the Sangguniang Panlungsod to pass a regulation ordinance that will prohibit "texting while driving." He said it is a very important legislation to protect the lives of the motorists.
So far, the council has only passed Regulation Ordinance No. 2002-177, an ordinance regulating the use of cellular phones, pagers, beepers and two-way radio transceivers inside movie houses, classrooms, libraries, churches and places of worship, gasoline station, including areas where explosive and explosive materials are kept or stored and in government offices including court rooms. The ordinance was authored by former Councilor Concordia L. Manikan and was approved during Treñas' second term of office.
The same ordinance states that the use of these cellular phones, beepers, pagers and two-way radio transceivers should be regulated inside the movie houses, classrooms/libraries, churches and other places of worship, gasoline stations and other areas where explosive and explosive materials are kept and or stored and in government offices and court rooms so as not to infringe upon the rights of others.
The penalty provided in the said ordinance is fine of P200 or community service for 72 hours to be rendered by the violator for the first offense. The second offense calls for a fine of P500 and a community service for 100 hours. While, a penalty of P1,000 shall be imposed upon owners of movie houses, school and university registrars and administrators, administrator of churches and places of worship, owners of gasoline station and department heads of Iloilo City government offices for failure to posts proper notices regarding the ordinance.
The chief executive said the proposed ordinance that will ban texting while driving is also a form of discipline among the people. Not all the people know the use of cellular phones inside churches and movie houses are prohibited. It is not a matter of consideration from the user but there is an ordinance regulating the use of cellular phones, he said.