A LAWMAKER here proposed a comprehensive review of the city’s traffic enforcement ordinances due to an alarming increase in road crashes.
“I respectfully urge this body to support a comprehensive review of our traffic enforcement ordinances, local design standards, and intersection controls – starting with identified hotspot zones,” Councilor Diosdado Angelo Junior R. Mahipus said in a privilege speech on Tuesday’s regular session.
The move was prompted by reports of a rise in road crashes in the city during the first seven months of the year, according to the Traffic Enforcement Unit (TEU).
TEU revealed there were 2,598 road crash incidents from January-July 2025, representing a 31.3% increase from 1,998 recorded cases in the same period last year.
Of this number, it involves 4,864 vehicles, most of which were private cars, motorcycles, and trucks, where 83% cases resulted in property damage, 2% caused serious injury, and 1% were fatal.
“That 1% –roughly one person dying every week is not a small number. One life is lost every seven days. And behind each one is a family, someone’s parent, someone’s child, not coming home,” Mahipus stressed.
The councilor said contributing factors to these incidents are distracted driving, use of mobile phones, fatigue, and disregard for basic traffic rules. He added the roads with the highest crash concentrations –C.P. Garcia, MacArthur Highway, Cabantian, Panacan, Ma-a, which is not new.
Mahipus said the review should include technical inputs from resource agencies, including CTTMO, TEU, DPWH, and the city’s planning and traffic engineers for procedural and physical interventions deemed necessary.
“Let us also give space for the public and key stakeholders to contribute to the formulation of responsive and data-driven solutions. If this calls for a committee hearing or multi-sectoral forum, then we must set that in motion,” he added.
The resolution was referred jointly to the committee on public works and highways, and the committee on transportation and communications for appropriate study and action.
