The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority reminded motorists of proper driving strategies after a sports utility vehicle was caught making an illegal maneuver at the EDSA Aurora Boulevard underpass.
The traffic authority posted footage from a CCTV camera on Tuesday, October 8, showing an SUV from the southbound lane driving over a center island and making a U-turn at 8:30 a.m. that day.
The incident happened along the EDSA Aurora Boulevard underpass in Quezon City.
MMDA said that it was able to identify the vehicle’s plate number.
It also said it would file a complaint before the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to impose the appropriate penalty on the SUV driver in question. The office is responsible for issuing driver’s licenses to individuals.
The MMDA also cautioned drivers that making wrong maneuvers on the road can pose great danger to other motorists.
“Paalala ng MMDA: Malaking panganib ang maling diskarte sa kalsada,” it said.
“Sumunod sa umiiral na batas trapiko,” the agency added.
Its post has garnered 267,000 views, 3,200 likes and reactions, and over 720 comments so far, with some Filipinos speculating the driver might have a “family emergency,” hence the move.
“Baka may emergency sa pamilya [niya], ‘di natin alam. Kaso muntik na din [siya] maka-disgrasya,” a Facebook user commented.
The MMDA responded by emphasizing its reminder about traffic rules.
“Sumunod sa batas trapiko hindi lamang para sa iyo kundi para sa kaligtasaan ng ibang gumagamit ng kalsada,” it commented to the user.
Driving over center islands is a risky maneuver, as these structures are designed to ensure a smooth flow of vehicular traffic by physically separating opposing directions.
It is not supposed to be driven over.
Meanwhile, an individual can be charged with reckless driving if they operate a vehicle “on any highway recklessly or without reasonable caution considering the width, traffic, grades, crossing, curvatures, visibility and other conditions of the highway and the conditions of the atmosphere and weather.”
It also applies if they drive vehicles in such a manner that can “endanger the property or the safety or rights of any person or so as to cause excessive or unreasonable damage to the highway.”
As of Wednesday, October 9, the MMDA said it had filed a complaint against the SUV driver who made an “illegal and unsafe” U-turn before the LTO.
It added that the LTO had issued a show cause order to the vehicle owner and ordered him to appear before the office on October 14.
“The driver is also directed to submit an explanation on why he should not be administratively charged for reckless driving and obstruction of traffic, as cited in the LTO’s show cause order. Penalty for the said offenses is suspension [or] revocation of the driver’s license,” the MMDA said in a statement.
MMDA Chairperson Don Artes also condemned the SUV driver for his “wanton disregard of standard and safe operation of [a] motor vehicle.”
“The sense of entitlement of the driver is very apparent in that, after forcedly executing the U-turn, he could be seen driving off nonchalantly as if he did not commit an egregious traffic violation,” the official said.
“It could be even argued that what he did amount to criminal negligence owing to the clear breach of the most basic driving decorum,” Artes added.