DUMAGUETE CITY – The Land Transportation Office (LTO) and the provincial Highway Patrol Group (HPG) will not apprehend motorcycle riders who are not wearing helmets until after the city’s charter day and fiesta celebration in late November.
LTO-Dumaguete District Office chief, Dr. Alberta Janine F. Lawas, confirmed this on Thursday after the city government made the announcement on social media a day earlier.
“We had previously agreed with Mayor Felipe Antonio Remollo to give the riding public at least one to two months to acquire a helmet before the national helmet law shall be fully implemented,” Lawas said.
At the same time, the period stipulated would give the concerned agencies and city officials enough time to make observations on the implementation of Republic Act No. 10054 or the Motorcycle Helmet Act of 2009, and for LTO to conduct its information campaign, she said.
The maximum of two months would fall on Nov. 25 if counting is made from the day the closed-door meeting was held here among city officials, LTO-Dumaguete and HPG-Negros Oriental, Remollo, and LTO 7 (Central Visayas) operations officer Macario Getaruelas.
To give way to the festivities, the helmet law will be enforced on November 26.
Lawas clarified, however, that LTO-Dumaguete and the HPG will continue their operations not just on the helmet law but also those on other traffic-related violations at the boundaries of Dumaguete to Sibulan, Valencia, and Bacong.
Many residents and some officials are against the implementation of the helmet law in Dumaguete, saying it is impractical for a small city with short travel distances. (Mary Judaline Partlow/PNA)
