Gov’t sets ‘one-time big-time’ ops vs overloading, over-speeding vehicles

MANILA, Philippines — Transportation and law enforcement agencies will conduct its “one-time big-time” nationwide crackdown against traffic violators, especially overloading and over-speeding vehicles, on Friday, November 22.

The Land Transportation Office (LTO) said this activity is meant to “prevent more road crash incidents in the future” as well as comply with President Rodrigo Duterte’s directive to strictly enforce the country’s traffic laws.

According to an LTO letter to the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), the President’s “instruction” during a November 4 Cabinet meeting “as relayed by (LTO) Usec. Mark Richmund De Leon” was for the agency and the Highway Patrol Group (HPG) to “not to go into corruption” and “strictly enforce the law.”

LTO particularly asked NCRPO for assistance during the conduct of the “one-time big-time” operation even as it would likewise be carried in other parts of the country.

Among the agencies that will join in the conduct of the operations are: LTO-Law Enforcement Service, Philippine National Police (PNP) – Highway Patrol Group, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), and South Luzon Expressway (SLEX).

The “one-time big-time” operation came about as recent incidents of road crashes claimed the lives of more than 30 people.

The letter specifically cited the October 30 road mishap in Apayao where an overloaded elf truck fell into a ravine, killing 19 persons; and the November 6 accident in Camarines Sur where a bus and a UV Express van collided, killing the van’s eight passengers.