The city government together with the Human Development and Empowerment Services (HDES) and other partner agencies will spearhead the conduct of Child Road Safety Law Enforcement Visibility Day on Monday, June 13.
On the said date, traffic enforcers from the Land Transportation Office (LTO), the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Office of the City Administrator, among others, will be deployed in strategic locations to flag down violators of key public road safety laws in a bid to ensure children are safe as they go back to school.
Highly-visible road safety checkpoints will be established at Putik Central School, Zamboanga Central School, Zamboanga National High School-West, Baliwasan Central School, and San Jose Gusu Elementary School.
Flagged down motorists in relation to the activity shall be issued information, education and communication (IEC) materials instead of citation tickets as the activity only aims to inform, educate and advocate for public road safety of all children in the city. Hard enforcement, however, will commence in November.
Among the laws to be enforced are the Child Safety in Motor Vehicles Act (R.A. No. 11229), Motorcycle Helmet Act of 2015 (R.A. No. 10054), Anti-Drunk and Drugged Driving Act of 2013 (R.A. No. 10586), Land Transportation and Traffic Code (R.A. No. 4413), and Seat Belts Use Act of 1999 (R.A. No. 8750).
Organized by the National Coalition for Child Road Traffic Injury Prevention, a multi-sectoral partnership of government agencies and civil society organizations working together to reduce child road deaths and injuries in the country, Child Road Safety Law Enforcement Visibility Day will kick off the week-long commemoration of National Safe Kids Week and will form part of the government’s “Oplan Balik Eskwela” activities nationwide.
Every third week of June is celebrated as the National Safe Kids Week, as mandated by Presidential Proclamation 1307 by then president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. (Cecil Abuy)
