Local officials must ensure that national roads are cleared of any obstruction to protect children from accident when the face-to-face classes resumed.
This as Department Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año who urged local government units to sustain the implementation of the nationwide Road Clearing Operation (RCO) and campaign against tricycles on national highways.
“The Road Clearing Ops and ‘no trike on national highway’ campaign have to be sustained. Hindi puwedeng ningas-kugon. We urge our LGUs to continue and sustain their successes to protect our children from road accidents, lalo na ngayong papalapit na ang face-to-face classes,” Año said in a statement.
“As the influx of children travel on roadways going and back from their schools, children are exposed to road accidents. These policies on road safety can save lives and reduce road collision deaths and injuries.”
Of the 41,365 barangays covered by the RCO initiative, 93.53 percent or 38,690 barangays continue to respond to the call to clear streets of obstructions for the month of March 2022 with the latest data submitted on May 6, 2022.
The DILG noted that all regions were above the 80 percent adherence rate establishing the hard work performed in the barangays in ensuring that their streets are free from obstructions and are safe for children to travel.
Año said LGUs and the local police must ensure that national highways must be free of tricycles and pedicabs unless otherwise allowed by an ordinance in the absence of alternate routes.
The DILG chief likewise said each city and municipality should ensure that their tricycle task force is activated and is separate from the tricycle regulatory boards to formulate or review its tricycle route plan.
“Children often ride tricycles to school, so it is important for LGUs to make sure that the road is safe and that drivers follow their limits,” he said.
Año also said that newly-elected officials must also look at formulating policies that lead to the protection of children from road accidents for this will play a critical role in ensuring that they are safe on the streets and far from road traffic injuries.
He encouraged them to include in their priority programs and/or continue existing road safety initiatives protecting children from road accidents and penalizing individuals exposing children to possibility of involvement in road traffic injuries.
DILG undersecretary and spokesperson Jonathan Malaya enjoined LGUs to participate in the Nationwide Child Road Safety Law Enforcement Visibility activities where the government’s effort on road safety for children will be highlighted.
Malaya said that cities such as Quezon, Valenzuela, Tuguegarao, Danao, Ormoc, and Zamboanga are participating in the said event by setting up separate checkpoints, particularly around schools, to distribute information, education, and communication materials on various road safety laws.
“We are likewise encouraging all LGUs nationwide to join us in Nationwide Child Road Safety Law Enforcement Visibility activities and participate by initiating parallel activities, advocacy efforts, and related programs in preparation for the opening of classes,” he said.
The Nationwide Child Road Safety Law Enforcement Visibility activities are part of the government’s ‘Oplan Balik Eskuwela’ and being spearheaded by the National Coalition for Child Road Traffic Injury Prevention in partnership with national government agencies and civil society organizations.
