Personnel of the La Trinidad Municipal Police Station have been relentless in clearing roads from illegally-parked vehicles as 100 license plates and driver’s license are confiscated daily with drivers given citation tickets.
LTMPS chief, Maj. Cleff Vencio, said the baklas plaka program is part of the road clearing efforts of the police and the municipality.
“We deployed our baklas plaka team to clear out our road sides especially along the main thoroughfares of the municipality as early as 6 a.m.,” Vencio said.
From July to October, the police have confiscated 3,669 drivers license from violators of various traffic rules, such as obstruction and illegal parking, and confiscated 1,313 license plates.
Around 85 motorcycles and motor vehicles and two push carts were also impounded.
Vencio said they have received positive feedback from residents regarding their continuous road clearing activities.
“What we are implementing is a long-time ordinance of the municipality. One of the causes of traffic is that our roads have become parking spaces for motorists, which should not be,” he said.
Illegally-parked vehicles along the roadside pose risks to pedestrians who are forced to walk on the road instead of the roadside.
Aside from the main thoroughfares from Km. 3 to 6, the baklas plaka team also operates along Buyagan and Pico roads and barangay roads.
He said traffic build-up in the valley usually happens Mondays and Fridays while road constructions also contribute to the traffic woes.
The LTMPS have asked the concerned road project contractors to operate at night especially when operating heavy equipment that obstructs traffic flow.
The municipality, with its Traffic Management Board, is also currently developing the signages to be put up along the municipality such as pedestrian crossings and loading and unloading signs. – Ofelia C. Empian
