Caroling ban to keep kids from serenading vehicles

In order to promote public safety and prevent road accidents, the Cebu City council is resuscitating an old law that prohibits caroling without a permit. This is to discourage children from clinging onto rear ends of public utility jeepneys just to sing to passengers.

Councilor Edgardo Labella, chairman of the council committee on public accountability and good government, said city police should strictly enforce City Ordinance No. 1931.

Under City Ordinance No. 1931, as amended, the act of caroling is deemed unlawful when it is done without the necessary permit from the Office of the Mayor. It is also unlawful if such is done before the designated period, which is from December 16 to the first week of January.

In the proposed resolution, which the council approved in last Wednesday's session, the City Traffic Operations Management is also urged to not only direct traffic on all streets but also to help apprehend anybody clinging onto the rear side of public utility vehicles. He said "such practice poses grave danger to the lives not only of the riding public, but to motorists as well."

"The spectacle of street carolers especially school-age children darting from one vehicle to another equipped with crude sound-making gadgets undeniably poses hazards to the safety of people and vehicles on the road," Labella said in his proposed resolution.

Since some of these school-age children-carolers take to the streets on school hours and in the early hours of the evening, Labella said he cannot help but wonder if these children skipped their classes or have stopped going to school altogether.

"Either in broad daylight or evening, clinging on to public utility vehicles or street caroling is a hazard to pedestrians and motorists," Labella said as he urged the authorities to strictly observe and enforce the city law. - Garry B. Lao