Cebu prov’l board OKs speed limit in Bantayan, Camotes roads

Local

IF YOU are speeding through the scenic roads of Bantayan or Camotes, you might want to ease off the gas pedal as the Cebu Provincial Board has just approved an ordinance enforcing strict speed limits on these tourist-favorite islands.

The newly passed Speed Limit Ordinance of the tourist islands of Bantayan and Camotes, sponsored by Board Member Glenn Anthony Soco, sets a general cap of 30 kilometers per hour (kph) on provincial roads.

The measure applies to vehicles traversing Bantayan, Santa Fe, and Madridejos in Bantayan Island, and Tudela, Poro, Pilar, and San Francisco in Camotes Group of Islands.

Under the ordinance, cars and motorcycles may still run at 60 kph on national or open roads, 50 kph on provincial roads or through streets, and just 20 kph in congested barangay or municipal areas.

Heavier vehicles such as buses, trucks, and tricycles are limited to 50 kph on national roads, 40 kph on provincial roads, and 20 kph in crowded zones.

Implementation will fall under the Cebu Provincial Traffic Management Board, with the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Land Transportation Office (LTO) leading education campaigns in coordination with local stakeholders and civil society groups.

Certain vehicles are exempt, such as ambulances, vehicles carrying injured persons or medical personnel responding to emergencies, and motorcycles of the Armed Forces responding to riots or disturbances.

Municipal traffic offices in the seven affected towns are designated as the ordinance’s enforcers, and must also install signage indicating applicable speed limits. Penalties include fines and corrective measures.

According to the ordinance, P1,000 and a four-hour road safety seminar for first-time violators; P2,000, the same seminar, and three hours of community service for second offenders; and for third-time violators, a P3,000 fine, vehicle impoundment, and potential jail time of no less than 30 days.

The ordinance took effect immediately upon its approval on April 28, and will be enforced after the required publication.(MyTVCebu)