Crime and punishment

We had a brief visit to Taipei last week and noted many differences in terms of the flow of traffic and the attitude of their drivers.

Like Cebu, motorcycles are also all over Taipei, but in our short stay there we did not see a motorcycle driver, who drove like he owned the street. Not even guys in Harleys did that.

They also wear their helmets on their heads and not on their elbows like what we often see here and roadside parking is very orderly as motorcycle owners make sure that their vehicle is properly parked.

We’re sure such things can be done in Cebu if we only care. 

Their road network is however a different story and it would probably take us a very long time to come close to what they have now.

* * *

A reader sent us email last week in connection to what we wrote about the exorbitant traffic fines. Here is his letter:

My Dear Mr.Quiñones,

The increase in traffic fines seems to have inspired an editorial consensus that the jeepney drivers are the menace and they will get what they deserve. I would agree that the jeepneys are the greatest menace on our streets, but like cockroaches and rats, they are a necessary evil. Often we hear of a thief being shot and killed in the act and our first reaction is that of satisfaction. He got what he deserved. But did the punishment fit the crime? The new fines are comparable to American standards. But the U.S.A is a country where the average annual wage might be close to the average lifetime wage of a Filipino. A P5,000 fine may be more than a months wages for many.

The answer is enforcement, not in steep fines if the objective is public safety. If the objective is filling the government’s coffers, then they have chosen the correct approach although I don’t think they are aware of the possible long term ramifications. What I have seen in the Philippines suggests public safety is not the priority. Law enforcement normally monitors certain designated areas. In all other areas it’s every man for himself.

There are no rules and signage is ignored. In some areas the signage does not exist or is faded or otherwise illegible. But that won’t stop the issuing of a citation, especially if you’re a foreigner. Traffic lights that could bring some sanity to congested intersections are often turned off. I have often had close encounters with Jeeps, Motorcycles, Tricycles and Trisicads carrying passengers after dark with no lights or even a reflector on poorly lit streets. I have observed motorcycles carrying up to 6 people with some being infants. Only the driver is required to wear a helmet? Is this public safety? Where is the traffic enforcement? When the driver of a vehicle does not wear his seat belt, does it endanger the public? No, but it helps to fill the coffers doesn’t it?

Being a law abiding citizen will certainly not insulate you from these exorbitant fines. If you are familiar with the area you’re driving you can probably stay out of trouble. But if you have to travel in an unfamiliar area, even being vigilante carries no guarantee. Signage is often located in obscure locations and may be barely legible if it’s there at all. Traffic signals often have bulbs burned out.

The only way you have of knowing its state is to have seen it before it changed. If it was green as you approached the intersection and now it’s off, you have to assume that it’s now red. One way streets are usually identified only at their entrance. If you approach this street from a secondary intersecting street, signage to identify it as “one way” will probably not exist. But it might get you a P10,000 fine anyway.

I finally sold my motorcycle because the laws regarding helmet requirements were changing like the wind. At no time did I know with certainty whether my helmet was legal or not.

In light of my observations, it would be most difficult to convince me that these new fines are about anything other than generating revenue.

Philip Bergenstock

* * *

For your comments, complaints and suggestions please feel free to contact us at 2531276 or 2538613 local 237.

You can also send email to [email protected].