BAGUIO CITY – Motorists will now be required to stop before pedestrian lanes in the city for five seconds to yield to pedestrians.
This after the city council approved on final reading the so-called "King of the Road" ordinance stipulating said requirement for motorists to respect the pedestrians’ right of way at all the designated crossing lanes in the city.
Authored by Councilors Fred Bagbagen and Elaine Sembrano, the measure mandates motorists to make a full five-second stop before the lanes and "to allow people to cross before proceeding or slow down upon approaching a pedestrian lane and yield (their) vehicles to persons crossing."
The requirement will not be enforced in cases where the lane is actually manned by police, traffic aide, members of the public order and safety division or any person designated to direct traffic.
Also exempted from the rule are drives of ambulances, fire trucks, paramedic vehicles, police vehicles and others being used for emergency cases.
The measure also mandates that during a slow down or a stop in vehicular traffic movement, no vehicles shall obstruct any portion of the lane so that it must always cleared and passable.
Violators will be fined from P1,000 to P3,000 while their licenses will also be confiscated.
Bagbagen said the measure "merely seeks to underscore the purpose of giving ‘royal treatment’ to pedestrians crossing the lanes." - aileen p. refuerzo
